Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

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Calligraphic dragon head

  • Description

    This brass openwork dragon or makara head was a finial piece from a religious standard (alam) displayed at a Shi’a Muslim shrine. It is composed of Arabic script: “Help is from God and Victory near” (Qur’an, 61:13). Its teeth spell “Allah”, and its crest “Muhammad”.

  • Details

    Associated place
    AsiaIndiasouth IndiaAndhra Pradesh Golconda (possible place of creation)
    AsiaIndiasouth IndiaAndhra Pradesh Hyderabad (possible place of creation)
    Date
    2nd half of the 17th century - 1st half of the 18th century
    Material and technique
    brass
    Dimensions
    with mount 18 x 10.7 x 3.1 cm max. (height x width x depth)
    8.2 x 10.7 x 3.1 cm max. (height x width x depth)
    Material index
    Technique index
    formed cast
    Object type index
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Purchased, 1994.
    Accession no.
    EA1994.45
  • Further reading

    Zebrowski, Mark, Gold, Silver and Bronze from Mughal India (London: Alexandria Press in association with Laurence King, 1997), p. 332, fig. 544

Location

    • First floor | Room 33 | Mughal India

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

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