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Collections

Amulet11th century

On view:
Geffen Galleries, Islamic Art and Late Antiquity
Small silver half-circle amulet box with raised Arabic script border, two suspension rings, and a hinged rectangular bar at top, decorated with relief animal figures in the center field
Silver metal amulet case, D-shaped with a hinged rectangular top bar and two side rings; front face decorated with repoussé animal figures in a central roundel, surrounded by a border of Arabic inscription in relief.
Small hinged metal box of D-shaped form with two iron suspension rings on either side; surface densely covered with cast or engraved figural scene at center and Arabic script borders, with dark patina and areas of corrosion.
Cast bronze amulet case with D-shaped body, two suspension rings at sides, and raised Arabic script along the top register above a central figural scene with human and animal forms within scrolling decoration.
Title
Amulet
Place Made
Iran
Date Made
11th century
Medium
Silver, cast
Dimensions
Height: 1 7/16 in. (3.65 cm); Width: 1 7/8 in. (4.76 cm)
Credit Line
The Madina Collection of Islamic Art, gift of Camilla Chandler Frost
Accession Number
M.2002.1.545a-b
Classification
Jewelry and Adornments
Collecting Area
Art of the Middle East: Islamic
Curatorial Notes

At the center of this cast-silver amulet, a lion attacks a warrior armed with sword and shield mounted on a caparisoned horse. Surrounding the scene is a verse from the beginning of chapter 112 of the Qur’an describing God as the Eternal Refuge. While it is unusual in Islamic art to find figural representation paired with a Qur’anic inscription due to the traditional separation of figuration from religious contexts, the scene of peril combined with the reference to God as a source of refuge suggests that this necklace element served to safeguard the wearer.

Selected Bibliography

  • Lo Terrenal y lo Divino: Arte Islámico siglos VII al XIX Colección del Museo de Arte del Condado de Los Ángeles. Santiago: Centro Cultural La Moneda, 2015.