Publication Date
Al-Mithqal is dated 127 AH / 745 AD
Publication Place
-
National Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Arts
Subject
Molded glass.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
نصف القطر: 6،5 سم؛ السماكة: 4،5 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
II.V. 13
Record ID
object;ISL;dz;Mus01;2;ar
Library Location
National Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Arts
Date
Al-Mithqal is dated 127 AH / 745 AD
Notes
This transparent green glass weight is divided into three sections. On the upper side, and in two lightly printed places, we see an inscription in Kufic letters. The inscription contains five lines written in Kufic characters, which are difficult to read with the naked eye. However, George Marcy was able to decipher its lines by collecting transliterations for the two stamps and transcribing them as follows: “In the name of God, from what Prince Abd al-Rahman bin Habib / Musal bin Hammad, the governor of Mila, ordered / twenty ounces, in the year / one hundred and twenty-seven.” According to the inscription, the mithqal therefore weighs twenty ounces, and this weight value is certified by an official stamp. An ounce is equivalent to 69,338 grams; Therefore, the mithqal weighed 1386.76 grams. The prince determined the weight value of the mithqal and imposed it on the people through the mediation of the governors (rural rulers). The name of the prince is mentioned: here he is Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib, the grandson of Uqba ibn Nafi, the founder of Kairouan. As for the governor, Musal bin Hammad, he seems to be unknown to historians, but it is possible that he was a Sanhaji, as his name and the name of his father, Hammad, appear often in the Sanhaji originals, especially among the Ziris of Morocco and Andalusia. These three glass parts form one group, representing a disc with a hole in the center. This weight was used as a unit for monitoring the weights used in commercial exchanges.
Sample Text
Leila Merabet “Mithqal” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;dz;Mus01;2;ar
