Capital thumbnail 1
Capital thumbnail 2
+2
images
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Islamic Middle East, Room 42, The Jameel Gallery

Capital

ca. 950-975 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This capital would have formed the head or top part of a column. It comes from the palace complex of Madinat al-Zahra near Córdoba in southern Spain. The complex was founded in 936 by a member of the Umayyad dynasty of Spain.

It shows the powerful influence of the architecture of classical antiquity on early Islamic art. The capital has a ‘composite’ form that is entirely Roman, except for the inscription in Arabic along the top edge.

The form and decoration of column capitals in Islamic Spain soon evolved away from their classical roots. They developed much more recognisably Islamic characteristics including increasingly abstract vegetal motifs.


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Carved marble
Brief description
Marble capital with part of a Kufic inscription, Spain (Córdoba), ca. 950-75.
Physical description
Marble capital with part of a Kufic inscription.
Dimensions
  • Height: 33.5cm
  • Width: 33cm
  • Depth: 33cm
  • Weight: 54.5kg
Style
Marks and inscriptions
(Inscribed in Arabic along top edge.)
Gallery label
Jameel Gallery Capitals with Realistic Decoration (bottom and centre) Spain, Córdoba 950–75 and 960–80 The lower two column capitals are from the palace complex of Madinat al-Zahra near Córdoba, founded in 936. The lowest has a ‘composite’ form that is entirely Roman, except for the inscription in Arabic along the top edge. The middle capital has the same shape, but the surfaces have been decorated with plant motifs. Carved marble Museum nos. A.10-1922; A.55-1925. Given by Dr W.L. Hildburgh, FSA (2006)
Credit line
Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh FSA
Summary
This capital would have formed the head or top part of a column. It comes from the palace complex of Madinat al-Zahra near Córdoba in southern Spain. The complex was founded in 936 by a member of the Umayyad dynasty of Spain.

It shows the powerful influence of the architecture of classical antiquity on early Islamic art. The capital has a ‘composite’ form that is entirely Roman, except for the inscription in Arabic along the top edge.

The form and decoration of column capitals in Islamic Spain soon evolved away from their classical roots. They developed much more recognisably Islamic characteristics including increasingly abstract vegetal motifs.
Associated object
Bibliographic reference
Mariam Rosser-Owen, Islamic Arts from Spain, London, 2010, p.24.
Collection
Accession number
A.10-1922

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Record createdDecember 2, 2003
Record URL
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