ticketsMember | Make a donation

Panel with Geometric Pattern and Benedictory Inscriptions

late 13th–mid-14th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 456
This limestone panel exemplifies the style of ornament found on carved surfaces, textiles, and decorative arts in Spain from 1232 to 1492 under the Nasrids, the last of the Muslim dynasties to rule in the Iberian Peninsula. Although fragmentary, the piece retains enough of its original length to reveal the designs. The rectangular panel is carved on three sides. On one of the wide sides is a band of squared interlace; on the other, a tall band of repeating eight-pointed stars and cartouches, both enclosing a knot pattern, with a guilloche border. The Kufic inscription on the adjacent narrow edge repeats the Arabic word al-‘afiyya (good health). Several fourteenth-century tombstones in the Museo de la Alhambra in Granada have similar geometric ornament, but their inscriptions are rendered in a rounded script called Naskh. The ornate facades of the Alhambra Palace, on the other hand, include Arabic inscriptions in both cursive Naskh and squared Kufic script, as well as highly complex geometric ornament. This panel may have been part of the frame of a doorway. Based on the direction of the inscription, it could also have functioned as a windowsill.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Panel with Geometric Pattern and Benedictory Inscriptions
  • Date: late 13th–mid-14th century
  • Geography: Made in Spain, Granada
  • Medium: Limestone; carved
  • Dimensions: H. 30 5/16 in. (77 cm)
    W. 11 in. (28 cm)
    D. 3 15/16 in. (10 cm)
  • Classification: Stone
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of Islamic Art Gifts, 2011
  • Object Number: 2011.182
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 4 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Carved Slab, Stone; carved in relief
Carved Slab
14th century
Wood Panel with Calligraphy, Wood; carved
Wood Panel with Calligraphy
11th century
Panel, Wood; carved and painted
Panel
14th century
Panel, Wood; carved and painted
Panel
14th century

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.