This enigmatic object is a free-standing, upright slab made of fritware ceramic and decorated on both sides. The clear white ground was painted in blue, green and red, a colour combination established in the Iznik potteries in the 1550s and 1560s. On each face is a striking floral design combining roses, tulips and prunus blossom or hyacinths. This is arranged around a central cartouche containing an Arabic text. The first part is the Shahadah, a key expression of Muslim belief that reads, “There is no god but God. Muhammad is the prophet of God.” The second part is a short prayer meaning, “God’s mercy upon him,” which is spoken out of respect after the name of a deceased Muslim. The prayer is not generally used after the name of the Prophet Muhammad, for whom a longer prayer invoking God's blessings and peace is said. The shorter prayer was probably added here to fill a space.

The inscription indicates that the stele was used in a religious context, but it does not tell us much more about its intended function. The object has been called a grave-marker, but it does not resemble the stone markers used for the graves of the rich in this period in any way. In addition, a grave-marker of this quality would surely have been inscribed with the name of the deceased.

The description of "pulpit tile" written on the early 20th-century mount is certainly wrong, but the writer may have confused the minbar, or pulpit, of a mosque with the mihrab, the empty niche that indicates the direction of prayer. The stele could have functioned as a portable mihrab, used when the pious owner and his entourage were out hunting, say, or on campaign. The major flaw in this theory is that the "mihrab" would only have been useful if it was correctly aligned with the direction of Mecca, towards which Muslims have to pray. This would have required a member of the company making a complex astronomical calculation in order to align the "mihrab" correctly.