Finial, possibly from a Cenotaph

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Details

Title: Finial, possibly from a Cenotaph
Date Created: late 14th–16th century
Physical Dimensions: H. 13 in. (33 cm) Max. Diam. 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm)
Type: Finial
External Link: http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453310
Medium: This finial was turned on a lathe from a single piece of wood to form the basic shape of a knob separated from the body by a short neck, leading down into a cylindrical base. Carved in low relief, the monumental yet softly rounded thuluth inscription carries the same weight as the large-scale arabesque decoration with interlacing rumi or split-palmette leaves and trefoil-like flowers. The Arabic inscription proclaims the Shi’a profession of fait: “There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Prophet of God and ‘Ali is the friend of God.”
Repository: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

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