Finial with Inscription "Ya Khafar" ("Oh, Protector!")

17th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 462
Finials such as this example likely came from the tops of standards ('alams) carried in Shi'i processions to commemorate the martyrdom of Husain, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, at the battle of Karbala. The 'alams signify the battle standards carried by Husain and his band of supporters. These finials are datable to the seventeenth century, a period in which the Shi'i religious orthodoxy was particularly pronounced in Iran.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Finial with Inscription "Ya Khafar" ("Oh, Protector!")
  • Date: 17th century
  • Geography: Attributed to probably Iran
  • Medium: Steel; inlaid with gold on front and silver foil overlay on reverse
  • Dimensions: Overall:
    H. 7 1/2 in. (19 cm)
    W. 4 3/4 in. (12 cm)
    With brackets:
    H. 7 1/2 in. (19 cm)
    Without brackets:
    H. 6 7/8 in. (17.5 cm)
  • Classification: Metal
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Richard S. Perkins Gift, 1982
  • Object Number: 1982.44
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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