Calligraphic Portrait of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib
1344 AH/1924-1925 CE
Artists
Description
This composition depicts `Ali ibn Abi Talib, Islam's fourth orthodox caliph and first Shi`i imam. In the smaller vignettes below, horsemen representing `Ali's grandsons Qasim and `Ali Akbar flank a central image in which the Prophet Muhammad riding Buraq is greeted by `Ali in the guise of a lion. The composition incorporates pious expressions and verses from the Qur'an (2:255; 12:64; and 113). The date has been slightly abraded so that it is easy to misread it as 1244 (1828-29) rather than 1344 (1924-25).
Dimensions
33.6 x 23.2 cm (13 1/4 x 9 1/8 in.)
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