Side of wooden beam carved with kufic calligraphy and floral decoration, mounted on wall.
AKM630, Beam, Side

© The Aga Khan Museum

Wooden beam carved with kufic calligraphy and floral decoration.
AKM630, Beam, Front

© The Aga Khan Museum

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On Display
Beam
  • Accession Number:AKM630
  • Place:Iran
  • Dimensions:239 cm × 20.8 cm
  • Date:14th Century
  • Materials and Technique:Wood, carved and painted

The wooden beam is ornamented with kufic-style decoration. Its surface bears a carved Arabic inscription repeating al-mulk [illah] or "Sovereignty [belongs the Gott]."

The beam’s modest style, its size, and its shape suggest that it and similar beams came from the same structure, possibly a cenotaph. Although wooden cenotaphs were frequently used within tombs, few early and medieval examples have survived.

- Filiz Çakır Phillip 

References

Aga Khan Trust for Culture. Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum: Architecture in Islamic Arts. Geneva: Aga Khan Trust for Culture, 2011. IBSN: 9780987846303

Note: This online resource is reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis. We are committed to improving this information and will revise and update knowledge about this object as it becomes available.

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