- Provenance
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Kitabchi (died 1976), Iran and Lausanne, Switzerland [1]
From 1997
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Mrs. Susanne Vallabh, Nyon, Switzerland through Hamid Atighetchi, London, in 1997 [2]Notes:
[1] According to Curatorial Note 3, Massumeh Farhad, July 7, 1997, in the object record.
[2] See note 1.
- Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)
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Mrs. Susanne Vallabh
Kitabchi died 1976
- Description
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The plaque is long and broad and bears an openwork decoration consisting of an inscription surrounded by a vine motif. A plain border 8 mm wide forms the edge of the plaque. A small fragment of gilding is present at one end of the border; the gilding was attached by mechanical means and was applied to a surface scored with crosshatching. The crosshatching runs along most of the outer perimeter of the border, extending in a few millimeters from the edge; this feature suggests that the border once had a gilded edge. The front surface is mottled silver and brown color; the back surface is uniformly dark brown.
- Inscription(s)
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1. (Massumeh Farhad, 7 July 1997) The inscription reads as follows: "And of him of the military and the proof, that stands by the truth." In Arabic: "...vand al askary va hojatah al qa'em ba."
- Label
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In seventeenth-century Iran, artists used steel not only for arms and armor, but also to create intricate decorative elements. This finely cut plaque is one from a series of ten intended to decorate the entrance of a tomb or commemorative structure. Crisply outlined, the inscription is written in an elegant thuluth script and juxtaposed against a delicate floral scroll. The plaque refers to the twelfth and last imam of Shi'ism, the official religion of Iran, as a warrior and defender of the truth. Known as the Mahdi (Savior), he is believed to return on the day of judgment.
- Published References
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- Thomas Lawton, Thomas W. Lentz. Beyond the Legacy: Anniversary Acquisitions for the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. vol. 1 Washington, 1998. pp. 154-155.
- Collection Area(s)
- Arts of the Islamic World
- Web Resources
- Google Cultural Institute
- SI Usage Statement
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Usage Conditions Apply
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-
CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
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Usage Conditions Apply
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
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International Image Interoperability Framework
FS-6125_13