Inscribed Tombstone of Shaikh al-Husain ibn Abdallah ibn al-Hasan (died 1110)
Unknown Artist
1110
Medium
limestone
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":0.65,"width":0.426}}
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Edward L. Whittemore Fund
Accession Number
1950.9
About this artwork
Arabic calligraphy, the supreme art form in the Islamic world, enhances this tombstone. The elegant Arabic script embellished with leaf tendrils at the top of the tall letters is called floriated Kufic. Verses about paradise from the holy Qur'an border the central arch-shaped niche that resembles a mosque's mihrab, located in the wall closest to the holy city of Mecca. The name of the deceased and the year of his death are recorded within the niche above the names of the carvers: "The work of Ab...