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Lot Essay
The main inscription around the border is from the Qur'an, sura iii, v.18. The inscription over the central arch begins with the bismillah and appears to be a saying of Muhammad regarding prayers.
The basic form of this mihrab with its concentric arched panels centred on a stylised mosque lamp and framed by inscriptions is typical for mediaeval Iran. Examples can be found in stone, in stucco and in glazed ceramic. The present example is probably of provincial manufacture, the various parts of the design not blending quite as well as in some of the masterpieces of the period. It also shows a number of idiosyncratic features which are less easy to find comparable examples for. The fluting of the pillars is very unusual. The drilling of holes around the capitals and bases of the main columns is also a rare feature which appears to have been borrowed from stucco moulded designs. In one carved stone panel in a private collection with this same feature of drilled circles around the outline, the holes have been inlaid with semi-precious stones, although it is not certain that they are original.
The basic form of this mihrab with its concentric arched panels centred on a stylised mosque lamp and framed by inscriptions is typical for mediaeval Iran. Examples can be found in stone, in stucco and in glazed ceramic. The present example is probably of provincial manufacture, the various parts of the design not blending quite as well as in some of the masterpieces of the period. It also shows a number of idiosyncratic features which are less easy to find comparable examples for. The fluting of the pillars is very unusual. The drilling of holes around the capitals and bases of the main columns is also a rare feature which appears to have been borrowed from stucco moulded designs. In one carved stone panel in a private collection with this same feature of drilled circles around the outline, the holes have been inlaid with semi-precious stones, although it is not certain that they are original.