Roundel with Repeated Inscription

Unknown

late 16th century · Wood, gesso; painted and metal-leafed with gold and silver · Islamic Art

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.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 16th century

Medium

Wood, gesso; painted and metal-leafed with gold and silver

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Purchase, Richard S. Perkins and Alastair B. Martin Gifts and Rogers Fund, 1991