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Seal Ring with the Name of Hajji Muhammad ibn Mahmud

probably 16th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 455
Signet rings engraved with the names of their owners or with short sayings or prayers appear on the fourth fingers of men in fifteenth and early sixteenth century Iranian miniature paintings. The lapus-lazuli setting of this seal ring is carved with the name of Hajji Muhammad ibn Mahmud written in reverse. Although the original purpose of these rings was to stamp one’s name into a seal, they may also have functioned as talismans used to protect their owners from harm.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Seal Ring with the Name of Hajji Muhammad ibn Mahmud
  • Date: probably 16th century
  • Geography: Made in Central Asia or Iran
  • Medium: Bezel: lapis-lazuli; carvedShank: silver; worked, gilded, and with black inlay
  • Dimensions: H. 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm)
    Diam. 1 in. (2.5 cm)
  • Classification: Jewelry
  • Credit Line: Bequest of W. Gedney Beatty, 1941
  • Object Number: 41.160.280
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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