SIGNED MUHAMMAD BIN ZAKARIYA, SAFAVID IRAN, 17TH CENTURY

Pocket size qibla indicators became particularly popular in Safavid Iran with the establishment of Twelver Shi'ism as the official religion of their empire. The sites on the top of our qibla indicator include Mecca and Medina and particular Shi'a sites such as Najaf, Karbala, Askarin, Kazemain, the Massumeh Shrine, the 'Abdul 'Azim shrine and Mashhad. The shape and design of our qibla indicator is uncommon. An equally refined, rectangular Safavid qibla indicator was sold at Sotheby's, London, 20 April 2016, lot 90.