Due to their inherent fragility, wood objects from the medieval Islamic world do not survive in great numbers, and those that do are primarily from interior settings, where they were protected from the elements. Most extant examples from Iran can be associated with religious institutions, in which they were safeguarded from the frequent warfare punctuating the rise and fall of dynasties and the ensuing destruction of palaces and other secular edifices. This relief-carved finial may have formed part of a cenotaph (grave marker) from a tomb or perhaps a minbar (pulpit) from a mosque.