Brass inlaid with copper, silver and black organic material
Dimensions:
H x W x D: 5 x 31.4 x 6.4 cm (1 15/16 x 12 3/8 x 2 1/2 in)
Type:
Container
Origin:
Iran
Date:
13th century (1210-11)
Period:
Saljuq period
Description:
Brass pen box with surface dark gray patina. Decoration inlaid silver, includes inscriptions in ornamented naskh script, and signature and date in kufic script.
Inscriptions:
Top, side:
[Arbc]
'amal Shadhi al-naqqash fi shuhur sanat sab' wa-sittmi 'a
"Made by Shadhi al-Naqqash in the year 607 [A.D. 1210]
Top (ornamented naskh):
[Arbc]
al-sadr al-ajall al-kabir al -'alim al -'adil al-mu'ayyad al-muzaffar al-mansur Majd al-mulk Sharaf al-dawla wa' l-din Shihab al-Islam wa'l-Muslimin Ikhtiyar al-muluk wa'l-salatin Diya' al-milla Baha' al-umma Qudwat al-akabir wa'l-amathil 'Umdat al-ma'ali Sayyid al-wuzara' Malik al-nuwwab Dhu'l-sa'adat Dastur Iran Sadr wa-Nizam Khurasan al-Muzaffar ibn al-sadr al-shahid Majd al-mulk da'afa 'llahu qadrah
"Most magnificent and mighty grand vizier, the learned, the just, supported [by heaven], the victorious, the triumphant, Majdul-Mulk, Honor of the State and Religion, Comet of Islam and Muslims, Elect of Kings and Sultans, Light of the Nation, Splendor of the Community, Leader of the Great, Pillar of Dignity, Lord of Viziers, King of Viceroys, the felicitous, dastur (governor) of Iran, sadr (grand vizier) and nizam (ruler) of Khurasan, al-Muzaffar son of the martyred (late) sadr Majdul-Mulk- may God increase his might manifold."
"Glory, good fortune, power, good health, well-being, [divine] favor, contentment, intercession, victory, victoriousness, increase, thanks, gratitude, good things, leadership, comfort, mercy, asceticism, completeness, assistance [from heaven], religiosity, permanence, sufficiency, long life ever to the owner."
Provenance:
To 1936
Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962), New York. [1]
From 1936
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Hagop Kevorkian, New York. [2]
Notes:
[1] Curatorial Remark 1 in the object record.
[2] See note 1.
Collection:
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History:
Arts of the Islamic World (May 3, 1998 to January 3, 2016)
Islamic Art (May 9, 1993 to June 3, 1997)
Islamic Metalwork in the Freer Gallery of Art (September 27, 1985 to November 17, 1986)
Near Eastern Metalwork (February 29, 1980 to March 3, 1980)
Art of the Near East (August 21, 1977 to December 14, 1979)
Near Eastern Art (June 15, 1973 to May 7, 1975)
2500 Years of Persian Art—Paintings, Metalwork (February 10, 1972 to June 15, 1973)
Near Eastern Art—Paintings, Metalwork (August 18, 1967 to February 10, 1972)
Special Exhibition Afghanistan (September 3, 1963 to June 5, 1964)
Near Eastern Art (January 1, 1963 to August 18, 1967)
Persian Art (January 1, 1963 to September 3, 1963)
Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 6 and 7 (February 25, 1956 to April 10, 1962)
Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Manuscripts, 1955 (April 12, 1955 to December 16, 1955)
Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Manuscripts, 1947 (October 6, 1947 to February 25, 1956)
Untitled Exhibition, Persian and Near Eastern Art (May 5, 1933 to September 24, 1947)
