Detail View: The AMICA Library: Inscription Panel
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AMICA ID:
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CMA_.1994.1
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AMICA Library Year:
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1998
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Object Type:
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Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
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Creator Nationality:
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Asian; Middle Eastern; Persian
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Creator Dates/Places:
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Iran
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Creator Name-CRT:
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Iran, Safavid Period
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Title:
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Inscription Panel
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Title Type:
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Primary
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View:
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Full View
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Creation Date:
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c. 1693
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Creation Start Date:
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1691
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Creation End Date:
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1695
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Materials and Techniques:
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forged steel, cut to shape, pierced
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Classification Term:
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Metalwork
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Classification Term:
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Metalwork
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Style or Period:
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Safavid Period
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Dimensions:
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Overall: 35cm x 27cm
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AMICA Contributor:
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The Cleveland Museum of Art
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Owner Location:
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Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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ID Number:
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1994.1
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Credit Line:
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Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund
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Rights:
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Context:
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This plaque bearing an Arabic inscription was once part of a larger decorative ensemble said to have adorned the royal tomb of the Safavid Shah Suleyman II, who ruled Iran from 1666 to 1693. It is one of the finest known examples of pierced steel, an extremely difficult medium that was pushed to its highest artistic possibilities in Iran during the reign of the Safavids (1501-1722).The plaque appears to have been formed from a forged sheet of steel, and openings created by using drills, saws, and files.Safavid metalworkers produced their finest openwork in steel, exploiting to the utmost that metal's hardness and tensile strength.Although mastery of openwork steel was a Safavid artistic triumph, this panel transcends any particular dynasty or region, for its design elements are universal in the Islamic world: a verse from the Koran set against a spiraling arabesque. The verse translates: "Verily, God and His Angels send blessings on the Prophet" (33:56). Working within a conservative artistic tradition, the designer of this panel has created a masterful composition that suggests both harmonious balance and continual movement.
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Related Image Identifier Link:
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CMA_.1994.1.tif
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