Seal inscribed "There is no God but [?]; Blessings on the owner 'Amir ibn Abdallah"

This small stamp seal speaks to the importance of the written word in the material culture of medieval Islam. On its front, an Arabic inscription proclaims "Blessings on its owner, Amir ‘Abd-Allah!" The inscription was carved in reverse so that its words would appear in raised letters on the wax or clay into which the seal was pressed. A verbal phrase thus acted as an identifying mark of ownership and, with each new impression, conferred good luck to Amir ‘Abd-Allah. At a later date, another inscription was etched into the surface around a knob-shaped hand-grip on the seal’s back side, including part of the common Muslim expression of faith, "no god but God." The purpose of this graffito is ambiguous, but a benedictory function similar to that of the seal itself is possible.