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Calligraphic Plaque

probably late 17th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 462
This cartouche-shaped plaque was created from a single sheet of solid steel, whose wide, flat border encloses a hemistich referring to Batul (a title associated with Fatima, The Prophet Muhammad’s daughter, and Imam Ali’s wife) and her two sons (Hasan and Husayn). The verse is from a poem extolling names of the chahardah maʿsum, or the fourteen infallible ones (the Prophet, Fatima, and the twelve imams). Such plaques were once part of a larger epigraphic ensembles that served both a decorative and invocative function. They often adorned the doors of shrines, mosques, and theological schools.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Calligraphic Plaque
  • Date: probably late 17th century
  • Geography: Attributed to Iran
  • Medium: Steel; forged and pierced
  • Dimensions: H. 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm)
    W. 15 in. (38.1 cm)
  • Classification: Metal
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1987
  • Object Number: 1987.14
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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