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Roundel with Repeated Inscription

late 16th century
Not on view
This carved wood roundel invokes two of the ninety-nine beautiful names of Allah (asma al-husna)—al-Haqq (the Truth) and al-Qayym (the Everlasting)—through its mesmerizing composition. The inscription is first written vertically and then in mirror image (muthanna), each pair repeating eight times. This Deccan example is related to a group affixed to the walls of a Shi‘i shrine in Hyderabad; such medallions were regarded as mirror reflections of the outer (zahir) and inner (batin) aspects of the Divine.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Roundel with Repeated Inscription
  • Date: late 16th century
  • Geography: Made in India, Deccan, probably Hyderabad
  • Medium: Wood, gesso; painted and metal-leafed with gold and silver
  • Dimensions: D. 1 3/16 in. (3 cm)
    Diam. 18 7/8 in. (48 cm)
  • Classification: Wood
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Richard S. Perkins and Alastair B. Martin Gifts and Rogers Fund, 1991
  • Object Number: 1991.233
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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