Iran, Safavid Period / Inscription Panel / c. 1693Iran, Safavid Period
Inscription Panel
c. 1693

View Larger Image

View Full Catalog Record Below



This image is one of over 108,000 from the AMICA Library (formerly The Art Museum Image Consortium Library- The AMICO Library™), a growing online collection of high-quality, digital art images from over 20 museums around the world. www.davidrumsey.com/amica offers subscriptions to this collection, the finest art image database available on the internet. EVERY image has full curatorial text and can be studied in depth by zooming into the smallest details from within the Image Workspace.
 
Preview the AMICA Library™ Public Collection in Luna Browser Now

  • Cultures and time periods represented range from contemporary art, to ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian works.
  • Types of works include paintings, drawings, watercolors, sculptures, costumes, jewelry, furniture, prints, photographs, textiles, decorative art, books and manuscripts.

Gain access to this incredible resource through either a monthly or a yearly subscription and search the entire collection from your desktop, compare multiple images side by side and zoom into the minute details of the images. Visit www.davidrumsey.com/amica for more information on the collection, click on the link below the revolving thumbnail to the right, or email us at amica@luna-img.com .



Creator Nationality: Asian; Middle Eastern; Persian
Creator Dates/Places: Iran
Creator Active Place: Iran
Creator Name-CRT: Iran, Safavid Period
Title: Inscription Panel
Title Type: Primary
View: Full View
Creation Start Date: 1691
Creation End Date: 1695
Creation Date: c. 1693
Object Type: Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
Classification Term: Metalwork
Materials and Techniques: forged steel, cut to shape, pierced
Dimensions: Overall: 35cm x 27cm
AMICA Contributor: The Cleveland Museum of Art
Owner Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
ID Number: 1994.1
Credit Line: Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund
Rights: http://www.clemusart.com/museum/disclaim2.html
Style or Period: Safavid period
Context: This plaque bearing an Arabic inscription was once part of a larger decorative ensemble said to have adorned the royal tomb of the Safavid Shah Suleyman II, who ruled Iran from 1666 to 1693. It is one of the finest known examples of pierced steel, an extremely difficult medium that was pushed to its highest artistic possibilities in Iran during the reign of the Safavids (1501-1722).The plaque appears to have been formed from a forged sheet of steel, and openings created by using drills, saws, and files.Safavid metalworkers produced their finest openwork in steel, exploiting to the utmost that metal's hardness and tensile strength.Although mastery of openwork steel was a Safavid artistic triumph, this panel transcends any particular dynasty or region, for its design elements are universal in the Islamic world: a verse from the Koran set against a spiraling arabesque. The verse translates: "Verily, God and His Angels send blessings on the Prophet" (33:56). Working within a conservative artistic tradition, the designer of this panel has created a masterful composition that suggests both harmonious balance and continual movement.
AMICA ID: CMA_.1994.1
AMICA Library Year: 1998
Media Metadata Rights: Copyright, The Cleveland Museum of Art

AMICA PUBLIC RIGHTS: a) Access to the materials is granted for personal and non-commercial use. b) A full educational license for non-commercial use is available from Cartography Associates at www.davidrumsey.com/amica/institution_subscribe.html c) Licensed users may continue their examination of additional materials provided by Cartography Associates, and d) commercial rights are available from the rights holder.

Home | Subscribe | Preview | Benefits | About | Help | Contact
Copyright © 2007 Cartography Associates.
All rights reserved.