This small carved woodblock was used for printing onto cotton, for a qalamkari textile. This popular visual tradition circulated dramatic narrative scenes on large textile hangings to audiences in coffeehouses and village squares across Iran.

The image is a portrait of Imam `Ali, a sacred figure of particular significance for Shi`a Islam. The Imam is depicted kneeling, with Dhu’l-Fikar, his famous two-bladed sword, laid across his lap. His face is veiled and a flaming nimbus surrounds his head: this luminosity projects the concept of the primordial divine light (Nur Muhammadi), which was specific to the Prophet Muhammad and his descendants, and was used as divine evidence of `Ali's entitlement to leadership.

As the Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law, `Ali b. Abi Talib (d.661 AD) is considered by Shi`a Muslims to be the only legitimate successor to the leadership of the Muslim community. The brutal treatment meted out to `Ali and his immediate family by Sunni Islamic rivals is recalled, commemorated and mourned in Shi`a culture to this day. This memorial practice has formed the basis of strong visual and tragic narrative traditions, especially in Iran. The late 19thC saw a rise in portraiture of `Ali, and his cultic image is still used in personal devotions.