Corner post from a cenotaph, carved wood

Iran; 15th century

H: 134 cm

Inventory number 40/1992

This corner post comes from a box-shaped cenotaph, a monument placed on top of a grave. It was carved with a very rich arabesque decoration on the two sides of the post that faced outward.

At the top and bottom are inscriptions with a religious content written in Naskh calligraphy. Other parts of the cenotaph are found today in collections all over the world, and their inscriptions give the names of the woodcarver, the calligrapher, and information that the monument was raised to an unnamed prince.

The rich application of color is characteristic of Timurid art and is also found in the polychrome tiles that decorated architecture in this period.

Published in

Christie’s, London, 20/10-1992, lot 79;
Kjeld von Folsach, Torben Lundbæk and Peder Mortensen (eds.): Sultan, Shah and Great Mughal: the history and culture of the Islamic world, The National Museum, Copenhagen 1996, cat.no. 58;
Kjeld von Folsach: Art from the World of Islam in The David Collection, Copenhagen 2001, cat.no. 439;

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