One of a pair of doors (broken and repaired; four patches)

One leaf of a double door (broken and repaired; four patches).
Decoration cut in counter-sunk relief to an average depth of .019; ten inscriptions in ornamented kufi script.

Historical period(s)
Saljuq period, late 11th century
Medium
Wood
Dimensions
H x W: 144 x 48.3 cm (56 11/16 x 19 in)
Geography
Iran
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1935.1
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Architectural Element
Type

Door

Keywords
Iran, Saljuq period (1037 - 1300)
Provenance

To 1935
Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962), New York. [1]

From 1935
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Hagop Kevorkian, New York. [2]

Notes:

[1] Curatorial Remark 1 in the object record.

[2] See note 1.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Hagop Kevorkian 1872-1962

Description

One leaf of a double door (broken and repaired; four patches).
Decoration cut in counter-sunk relief to an average depth of .019; ten inscriptions in ornamented kufi script.

Inscription(s)

Upper medallion:
[Arbc]
wa-inna l'-masajida li-llahi wa-la tad'u ma'a 'llahi ahadan (Koran 72:18) sadaga 'llahu 'l-'azim
"Mosques belong to God, so invoke none beside God. God the almighty has spoken the truth."

Small circles:
[Arbc] 'Ali
[Arbc] Fatima

Small square:
[Arbc] Allah
[Arbc] Muhammd
[Arbc] al-Hasan
[Arbc] al-Husayn

Center medallion:
[Arbc]
Qala 'llahu tabaraka wa-ta'ala, wilayat 'Ali bn Abi-Talib 'alayhi ';-salam hisni, wa-man dakhala hisni amina min 'iqabi
"God--blessed and exalted be he--said, 'The sainthood of Ali b. Abi-Talib--upon whom be peace--is my fortress, and whosoever enters my fortress is safe from my torment.'"

Circle in the middle of center medallion:
[Arbc]
sl-salat 'imad al-din
"Prayer is the pillar of religion."

Bottom medallion:
[Arbc]
inna 'llaha wa-mala'ikatahu yusallluna 'ala 'l-nabiyi ya ayyuha 'lladhina amanu sallu 'alayhi wa-sallimu tasliman (Koran 33:56)
"God and his angels pray for the prophet. O those who believe, pray for him and give him greetings."

Published References
  • Smithsonian Institution. Report of the Secretary, 1935. Washington, 1935-1936. pl. 1.
  • Smithsonian Institution. Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, 1935. Washington, 1935-1936. appendix 3, pl. 1.
  • Richard Ettinghausen, Ernst Kuhnel. A Survey of Persian Art from Prehistoric Times to the Present. 6 vols., London and New York, 1938 - 1939. vol. 2: pp. 1359-1360, vol. 3: pp. 2614, 2718, vol. 6: pl. 1461.
  • Sheila Blair, Jonathan M. Bloom, Anne E. Wardwell. Re-evaluating the Date of the "Buyid Silks" by Epigraphic and Radiocarbon Analysis. vol. 22 Washington and Ann Arbor. pp. 6, 22.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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