Stele: a tile head piece for a grave

Object Details

• Description

  Stele: a tile head piece for a grave. Clay: soft, sandy, buff-white. Glaze: deep bluish green, with areas of partial decomposition, iridescent; crackled. Decoration: an inscription in naskhi script modelled in low relief.

• Inscriptions

  Inscription: An epitaph in crude cursive Arabic: [Arb] "This is the grave of Sa'd Ullah."

• Provenance

  To 1905

  Kalebjian Frères, Paris, to 1905 [1]

  From 1905 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Kalebjian Frères in 1905 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] Undated folder sheet note. Also see Voucher No. 1, October 1905, L. 1416, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  The Peacock Room Comes to America [2022] (September 3, 2022 - ongoing)

  The Peacock Room Comes to America [2017-2019] (October 14, 2017 to January 2, 2019)

  The Peacock Room Comes to America [2011-2016] (April 9, 2011 to January 4, 2016)

  Art of the Arab World (August 15, 1980 to May 13, 1981)

  Art of the Arab World (May 8, 1975 to August 20, 1977)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Kalebjian Frères (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Raqqa, Syria

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Sculpture

• On View

  Freer Gallery 12: The Peacock Room Comes to America

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1100s, 1300s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Kalebjian Frères

• Place

  Raqqa

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Raqqa ware, Art, Arts of the Islamic World, Funerary, Stone-paste, Iridescence, Ceramics

• Culture

  Muslims, Syrians

• Language

  Naskh script

• Object Type

  Sculpture

• On View

  Yes