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Pre-Columbian and Acheulean Artifact Auction
Lot 391:
Description
3 1/2″ Turbah, or prayer stone, a Shi’a Islamic artifact used during daily prayers. These are typically made from the clay of Karbala, a holy city in Iraq. The artifact is a circular, sun-dried clay disc with intricate, molded relief.The central image depicts a mosque structure with a dome and two flanking minarets.Arabic calligraphy surrounds the central image and is also featured in an oval cartouche at the bottom of the disc. The inscriptions often contain religious phrases, such as the Shahada (“There’s no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah”). Turbahs provide a clean surface of natural earth on which to place the forehead during sujood (prostration), which is a required part of the daily prayers.
Using clay from Karbala is a common practice among Shi’a Muslims as it holds special religious significance.The decorative elements, such as the mosque design and calligraphy, are typical artistic expressions in Islamic art that avoid human figures
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