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Tomb Stele Fragment with Kufic Inscription

9th century

Not on view

This funerary stele is characteristic of Islamic tomb monuments on which inscriptions are used to decorate and to enlighten. Carved in Kufic script, the Qur’anic quotation "He is the Liv[ing]" outside the meander pattern is from the "Sura of the Throne," which is often used for funerary inscriptions. The longer text identifies the deceased: "In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. This is the grave of Sulayman ibn Muhammad."

Tomb Stele Fragment with Kufic Inscription, Marble — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Tomb Stele Fragment with Kufic Inscription

Date: 9th century

Geography: Made in Antioch

Medium: Marble

Dimensions: 11 1/2 x 16 x 2 3/4 in. (29.2 x 40.6 x 7 cm)

Classification: Sculpture

Credit Line: Byzantine Collection, Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C. (BZ.1938.89)

Accession Number: isl1724

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Medieval Art and The Cloisters at The Met

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world, encompassing the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance.