Panel
14th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This panel is from the side of a large wooden box that marked the grave of Sayf al-Din Bakharzi. He was a celebrated Muslim mystic who died in Bukhara in Uzbekistan in 1261.
The main panel has a pattern of intersecting 12-sided figures. Long straight rays link groups of small hexagons which are arranged around a six-pointed star. This type of decoration is typical of the patterns based entirely on the arrangement of geometric figures that came to play a significant role in Islamic art. They were used in both religious and secular contexts.
By the 14th century, when this panel was made, such patterns often combined more than one scheme. However, decorators made no attempt to create an illusion of depth. The picture plane remained deliberately flat, producing patterns that were impressively complex.
The main panel has a pattern of intersecting 12-sided figures. Long straight rays link groups of small hexagons which are arranged around a six-pointed star. This type of decoration is typical of the patterns based entirely on the arrangement of geometric figures that came to play a significant role in Islamic art. They were used in both religious and secular contexts.
By the 14th century, when this panel was made, such patterns often combined more than one scheme. However, decorators made no attempt to create an illusion of depth. The picture plane remained deliberately flat, producing patterns that were impressively complex.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Teak, carved, painted and gilded |
| Brief description | Carved and painted wooden panel from the grave marker of Sayf al-Din Bakharzi, Uzbekistan (Bukhara), 1300-1400. |
| Physical description | Wooden panel carved with a niche design filled with geometric and arabesque patterns. There are traces of paint and gilding. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Production | The panel was part of the box-like wooden tomb-marker placed over the grave of Sayf al-Din Bakharzi. The grave is in a monumental tomb in a cemetery on the outskirts of Bukhara. |
| Summary | This panel is from the side of a large wooden box that marked the grave of Sayf al-Din Bakharzi. He was a celebrated Muslim mystic who died in Bukhara in Uzbekistan in 1261. The main panel has a pattern of intersecting 12-sided figures. Long straight rays link groups of small hexagons which are arranged around a six-pointed star. This type of decoration is typical of the patterns based entirely on the arrangement of geometric figures that came to play a significant role in Islamic art. They were used in both religious and secular contexts. By the 14th century, when this panel was made, such patterns often combined more than one scheme. However, decorators made no attempt to create an illusion of depth. The picture plane remained deliberately flat, producing patterns that were impressively complex. |
| Bibliographic reference | B. Brentjes and K. Rührdanz, Mittelasian: Kunst des Islam, Leipzig, 1979, fig. 219-220 (another panel from same enclosure) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1437-1902 |
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| Record created | February 23, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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