Publication Date
Ninth century AD
Publication Place
-
Museum of Islamic Art
Subject
Engraved marble.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع: 27سم؛ العرض: 29سم؛ العمق: 29 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
I. 2195
Record ID
object;ISL;de;Mus01;5;ar
Library Location
Museum of Islamic Art
Date
Ninth century AD
Notes
From the shape of this capital it appears that it was on top of a half-column. Its surface is decorated with three decorative bands: at the top of the band, which matches the old cover plate, there is a fan palm leaf with flowers on it. This palmette is surrounded by two prominent bands at the top and bottom. The middle section is decorated with intertwined palm leaves covering the entire upper surface. These palmettes turn at the corners in a forward spiral, and embrace the decoration of acanthus leaves on the capitals of the ancient columns. While similar ancient decorations were formed in three dimensions, we find these leaves here in only two dimensions. The lower section of this subject consists of a simple round stick. Below that we find another fan palm leaf that forms the lower end of the column's capital. This crown appears similar, in general, to traditional Byzantine crowns, and is inspired by them in an abstract way. This trend has developed in Islamic art. It is believed that the capitals of the columns in Raqqa, the temporary capital of the Abbasids, were used along with other capitals with similar decorations in a building that is not yet known. The acanthus plant is still known today in the surrounding Mediterranean. This plant has been used in Greek art since the 5th century BC as a decorative element on tombstones. It later entered Roman art and was used in Islamic art in the form of multi-shaped fan palm leaves as basic drawings for architectural decoration and fine art. Alabaster is fine-grained white marble, contains plaster compounds, and is easy to process. Therefore, it has been used since ancient times in architectural decorations and covering statues and sculptures.
Sample Text
Annette Hagedorn “Column Capital” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;de;Mus01;5;ar
