Publication Date
10th/11th century
Publication Place
-
Museum of Islamic Art
Subject
Carved marble with polished Kufic writing.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع: 45.5 سم؛ العرض: 66.5 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
I. 4466
Record ID
object;ISL;de;Mus01;41;ar
Library Location
Museum of Islamic Art
Date
10th/11th century
Notes
The rectangular marble panel is the remaining part of a huge carved panel. It appears that this marble plaque was reused as part of the legacy of the Catholic clergy. On the reverse side of this stela there is an inscription in Kufic script on the tomb of a man who died in 307/920. This date does not fit with the writing style used in the building, as it appears on the front side of the stela. Therefore, it is believed that this painting was later reused on the back side. The side bearing the huge inscription is considered the main front side, based on the beautiful calligraphy with which this inscription was executed. The first three words of the Basmala, in addition to the two Shahadas, were written in Kufic script. This type of writing carved in the form of a relief is called stylized Kufic calligraphy because the tails of the letters end with palmettes. A few forms of braided Kufic calligraphy can also be identified on the left side. These two types of letters in Kufic calligraphy have been essential elements in decorative Kufic writing since the ninth century. It is believed that this huge writing dates back to the eleventh century. In the ornate Kufic script, the tails of the letters end with floral decorations, while the tails of the letters in the braided Kufic script are overlapping with each other. These decorative elements appear in writings on huge paintings as well as in other types of art. Calligraphy is often used in religious texts because, by its nature, it gives the impression of enormity. The Arab author Ibn Khaldun (732-784/1332-1382) described the emergence of various types of Arabic calligraphy and the importance of using a unified Arabic script in the Arab conquests. He also mentioned that the Kufan calligraphy was in the city of Kufa in Iraq.
Sample Text
Annette Hagedorn “Fragment of a large engraved panel” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;de;Mus01;41;ar
