Coin of Giyath al-Din Kay-Khosraw II (reigned 1237-46)

Object Details

• Label

  With the Arabic language as one of the most ubiquitous symbols of Islam, the script also became the principal element on coins, which served to represent the authority of the Islamic dynasties. Upon accession to the throne, each ruler considered it his royal prerogative to strike a coin in his name, thus affirming his new power and status. In addition to the king's name, the date, and place of the mint, most medieval Islamic coins also carried the shahada (the profession of faith: "there is no God but God and Muhammad is the Prophet of God").

  While most coins were relatively simple in design and relied primarily on writing as their decoration, others were more elaborate and combined words and images, as is evident from the silver coin on view. This thirteenth-century example is embellished with a depiction of a lion and a sun, probably representing the constellation Leo--an auspicious sign for Kay-Khusraw II, the Saljuq ruler of Anatolian Turkey in the thirteenth century.

• Provenance

  To 1998

  Private collector, acquired in Syria, to 1998 [1]

  From 1998

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, given by a private collector in 1998

  Notes:

  [1] According to Provenance Remark 1 in the object record.

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Imaging the Word: Selections of Calligraphy from the Islamic World (November 17, 1999 to May 7, 2000)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Anonymous

• Origin

  Turkey

• Credit Line

  Anonymous gift in honor of Lora and Ralph Redford

• Type

  Exchange Media

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1200s

• Name

  Redford, Scott

• Topic

  Silver, Art, Arts of the Islamic World, Saljuq period (1037 - 1300), Metal-work

• Culture

  Muslims, Turks

• Object Type

  Exchange media