Inscription Plaque, Possibly from a Door
Unknown Artist
c. 1693
Medium
forged steel, cut to shape and pierced
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":0.27,"width":0.35}}
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund
Accession Number
1994.1
About this artwork
This pierced steel plaque is said to have adorned the royal tomb of Shah Suleyman II (reigned 1666–93). The Qur’anic inscription reads: “Verily, God and His Angels send blessings on the Prophet” (33:56). Steel plaques of this type required great skill to manufacture. Because of the steel’s tensile strength and durability, artists were able to create elaborate openwork plaques like this one to decorate the doors of mausolea and mosques.