Plaque from the Tomb of Shah Isma'il

Creator Name

Unknown

Cultural Context

Iranian

Date

16th century

Source

Walters Art Museum

About the work

Curationist Object Description

This funeral plaque is from the tomb of Shah Isma'il who founded and ruled the Safavid dynasty from 1501 to 1524. Notably, he promoted the worship of Shia Islam and produced poetry in Azerbaijani and Persian, furthering Shia beliefs.

This plaque was taken from his gravesite in Ardabil, Iran and is ornately carved with Qur'anic verses.

Walters Art Museum Object Description

The Qur'anic inscription carved in thuluth script is from "Surat al-dahr" (The time), 76:12-13: "And because they were patient, He will reward them with paradise and silken robes. Reclining on couches, they will see neither the heat of the sun nor the cold of the moon." This finely carved plaque is believed to be from the tomb of the Iranian ruler Shah Isma'il I (r. 1501-24). Shah Isma'il founded the Safavid dynasty in Iran in 1501 and is buried at Ardabil, in northwestern Iran.

For the latest information about this object, plaques (flat objects), visit art.thewalters.org.

Work details

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Title

Plaque from the Tomb of Shah Isma'il

Creator

Unknown

Iranian

Worktype

Sculpture; Funerary object; Plaque

Ivory & Bone; plaques (flat objects)

Cultural Context

Iranian

Material

ivory (elephant tusk)

Dimensions

H: 2 3/8 in. (6 cm)

Technique

Language

Arabic; Thuluth

Date

16th century

1st quarter 16th century (Early Modern)

Provenance

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.; Dikran Kelekian, New York and Paris [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1911, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Style Period

Rights

CC0; GNU Free Documentation License

Inscription

From Qur'an 76:12-13: And because they were patient, He will reward them with paradise and silken robes. Reclining on couches, they will see neither the heat of the sun nor the cold of the moon.

[Translation] From Qur'an 76:12-13: And because they were patient, He will reward them with paradise and silken robes. Reclining on couches, they will see neither the heat of the sun nor the cold of the moon.

Location

Ardabil; Ardabil Province; Iran; MENASA (Middle East, North Africa and South Asia)

Source

Walters Art Museum

Subjects

Calligraphy; Death (natural phenomenon)

Topic

Arabic Calligraphy

Curationist Metadata Contributors

Amanda Acosta

All Works in Curationist’s archives can be reproduced and used freely. How to attribute this Work:

Unknown, Plaque from the Tomb of Shah Isma'il, 16th century. Walters Art Museum. This plaque was taken from the gravesite of Shah Isma'il, founder of the Safavid dynasty and poet. CC0.

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