Description:

Lot 19. A FATIMID CARVED KUFIC INSCRIBED WOODEN PANEL FRAGMENT
Egypt, 11th Century

Carved from a pale, weathered wood, this fragment preserves sections of a Kufic inscription in low relief against a recessed ground. The surviving surface shows abrasion, losses, and mineral accretions, with areas of the original dark ground still visible. Traces of red, black, and cream pigments appear along the lower portion, including a band of interlace and small foliate motifs, indicating that the panel was originally polychrome. The edges are irregular and broken, consistent with its survival as part of a larger architectural element.

One face retains the clearer carved inscription and painted decoration; the reverse is rougher, with eroded wood fibres and surface encrustation, suggesting it was originally set against a structural support.

Architectural panels of this type were used to adorn interiors of Fatimid religious and secular buildings, where carved Qur’anic or dedicatory inscriptions formed both decorative and devotional elements within wooden screens, doors, and wall panelling.

Height: 11cm

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December 16, 2025 1:00 PM GMT
London, United Kingdom

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