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Finial, Possibly from a Cenotaph

late 14th–16th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 460
Finials are by nature ornamental rather than integral elements of architecture or furniture. In this appealingly proportioned wooden object carved in low relief, the monumental yet softly rounded thuluth inscription carries the same weight as the large-scale arabesque decoration with interlacing rumi or split-palmette leaves and trefoil-like flowers. The Arabic inscription proclaims the Shi‘a profession of faith: "There is no God but God (Allah); Muhammad is the Prophet of God and ‘Ali is the friend of God." The nature of the inscription suggests that the finial may have been part of the interior decoration of a Shi‘a tomb or shrine.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Finial, Possibly from a Cenotaph
  • Date: late 14th–16th century
  • Geography: Possibly made in Turkey or Iran
  • Medium: Wood; turned and carved with traces of later paint and gilding
  • Dimensions: H. 13 in. (33 cm)
    Max. Diam. 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm)
  • Classification: Wood
  • Credit Line: Louis E. and Theresa S. Seley Purchase Fund for Islamic Art and Rogers Fund, 1988
  • Object Number: 1988.346
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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