Oval bezel amulet from a bracelet, inscribed with the Throne verse
On display
This amulet is inscribed with one of the most famous verses from the Qur’an (2:255):
“God there is no god but He, the Living, the Everlasting. Slumber seizes Him not, neither sleep; to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Who is there that shall intercede with Him save by His leave? He knows what lies before them and what is after them, and they comprehend not anything of His knowledge save such as He wills. His Throne comprises the heavens and earth; the preserving of them oppresses Him not; He is the All-high, the All-glorious.”
Details
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Title
Oval bezel amulet from a bracelet, inscribed with the Throne verse
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Associated place
north India (place of creation)India (possible) (possible place of purchase) -
Date
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Material and technique
cornelian, incised; jade setting, inlaid with gold and inset with stones, possibly emeralds and rubies
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Material index
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Technique index
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Object type
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Dimensions
with setting 3.2 x 4.1 x 0.7 cm max. (height x width x depth)
without setting 2.7 x 3.8 cm max. (height x width) -
No. of items
1
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Credit line
Presented by J. B. Elliott, 1859.
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Museum location
First floor | Gallery 33 | Mughal India -
Museum department
Eastern Art
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Accession no.
EA2009.5
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Catalogue text
Cornelian; in enamelled jade setting (being a bracelet). Six lines placed inside elongated compartments with single-lobed or trilobed lateral sides. Cursive script; engraved.
(1) 'God, there is no god but He, the Living, the Everlasting. Slumber seizes Him not,
الله لا اله الا هو الحى القيوم لا تاخذه
(2) neither sleep; to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth.
سنة ولا نوم له ما في السموات وما في الارض
(3) Who is there that shall intercede with Him save by His leave? He knows what lies before them
من ذا الذى يشفع عنده الا باذنه يعلم ما بين ايديهم
(4) and what is after them, and they comprehend not anything of His knowledge save such as He wills.
وما خلفهم ولا يحيطون بشئ من علمه الا بما شاء
(5) His Throne comprises the heavens and earth; the preserving of them oppresses Him not;
وسع كرسيه السموات والارض ولا يؤده
(6) He is the All-high, the All-glorious.' (Qur. II, 256/255)
حفظهما وهو العلى العظيم
There are some decorative motifs spread on the ground: lām-alifs always with another alif on the top in the middle; chevrons representing small leaves; groups of short strokes; groups of dots (four or five); and groups of small crosses arranged in a circle. One line follows the shape of the gem.In: Kalus, Ludvik, Catalogue of Islamic Seals and Talismans (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1986)
Further reading
Kalus, Ludvik, Catalogue of Islamic Seals and Talismans (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1986), no. 1.39 on pp. 67-68, pl. II.1.39
