The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of October 2, 2023

Inscribed Tombstone of Shaikh al-Husain ibn Abdallah ibn al-Hasan (died 1110)

1110

Iran, Yazd, Seljuk Period, early 12th Century

Limestone

Overall: 65 x 42.6 cm (25 9/16 x 16 3/4 in.)

Edward L. Whittemore Fund 1950.9

Location

not on view

Fun Fact

More work by these two artisans, Ubaydallah Murra and Umar, survives than by any other single artisan working in Yazd during the 1100s. There are only three other collaborative efforts on twelfth-century mijrabs/tombstones of the Yazd area out of a total number of 18 signed pieces.

Description

Arabic calligraphy, the supreme art form in the Islamic world, enhances this tombstone. The elegant Arabic script embellished with leaf tendrils at the top of the tall letters is called floriated Kufic.

Verses about paradise from the holy Qur'an border the central arch-shaped niche that resembles a mosque's mihrab, located in the wall closest to the holy city of Mecca. The name of the deceased and the year of his death are recorded within the niche above the names of the carvers: "The work of Abaidallah Murra(?) and 'Umar(?)." The inscriptions from the Qur'an translate as follows:

Outer border (read from right to left):
"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Every soul shall taste of death; and ye shall only receive your recompenses on the Day of Resurrection. And who so shall escape the fire, and be brought into Paradise, shall be happy. And the life [of this world is but a cheating fruition]" (3:185).

Inner border:
"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. But as for those who say, 'Our Lord is God'; and who go straight to Him, the Angels shall descend to them and say 'Fear ye not, neither be ye grieved, but rejoice ye in the Paradise which ye have been [promised]'" (41:30).

Inscriptions
Inscription Translation

Outer panel: In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Every soul shall taste of death; you shall surely be paid in full your wages on the Day of Resurrection. Whosoever is removed from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, shall win the triumph. The life (of this world is but the joy of delusion). (Qur'an 3:185)

Inscription Remark

The last words given in parentheses are not on the stone since there was no space for the full sentence.

Inscription Translation

Inner panel: In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Those who have said, "Our Lord is God," and afterwards have gone straight, upon them the angels descend, saying "Fear not, nor grieve; rejoice in Paradise that you were (promised)." (Qur'an 41:30)

Inscription Remark

Again the last word of the verse is not found on the stone because of lack of space.

Inscription Translation

Central frame: This is the grave of the happy Shaykh al-Husayn ibn Abdallah ibn al-Hasan ibn Isma-id (sic., misspelling for isma-il) who died in Safar (in the) year 504/19 August-16 September 1110.

Inscription Translation

Bottom panel: The work of Ubaydallah Murra (?) and Umar (?)

Inscription Remark

The names of the masons are given in the horizontal panel at the bottom of the stone.

Provenance
?-1950
(Heeramaneck Galleries, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
1950-
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
Citations
Milliken, William M. "Part II. Annual Report Issue for the Year 1950." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 38, no. 6 (1951): 151-82. Mentioned: p. 158 www.jstor.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 682 archive.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 208 archive.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 208 archive.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 264 archive.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1991. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1991. Reproduced: p. 39
Cleveland Museum of Art. The CMA Companion: A Guide to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2014. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 226
Gertsman, Elina and Barbara H. Rosenwein. The Middle Ages in 50 Objects. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018. Mentioned: p. 168-171; Reproduced: p. 169
Exhibition history

Islam and the Medieval West. University Art Museum, Binghamton, NY, Binghamton, NY (organizer) (April 6-May 4, 1975).

Order & Rhythm: Carpets from the Islamic World. Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (organizer) (September 10-November 7, 1993).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1950.9