Harvard Art Museums > 2002.50.121: Qur'an or Amulet Box Boxes Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Qur'an or Amulet Box , 2002.50.121,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Apr 25, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/160303. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 2002.50.121 Title Qur'an or Amulet Box Classification Boxes Work Type box Date 19th-20th century Places Creation Place: Africa, North Africa Period Modern Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/160303 Physical Descriptions Medium Approximately 20 sheets of brass, steel, and nickel silver joined with gray lead-tin solder Dimensions 16 x 18.2 x 2.4 cm (6 5/16 x 7 3/16 x 15/16 in.) Provenance Recorded Ownership History Stanford and Norma Jean Calderwood, Belmont, MA (by 1992-2002), gift; to Harvard Art Museums, 2002. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Norma Jean Calderwood Collection of Islamic Art Accession Year 2002 Object Number 2002.50.121 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description Small boxes like this one were used to hold small Qur'ans, prayer manuals, or talismanic texts, which were written on long sheets of paper and folded repeatedly or rolled to fit the confines of their containers. The front of the box is decorated with a non-monetary coin surrounded by stylized vine-and-leaf motifs in relief. The coin features a six-pointed star popularly known as the Seal of Solomon, which—since Solomon was believed to have authority over supernatural powers—often adorns talismanic objects and texts. An arched lid closes the box; cords passed through its two handles would have allowed it to be suspended, providing protection to a place or a person. Published Catalogue Text: In Harmony: The Norma Jean Calderwood Collection of Islamic Art , written 2013145 Qurʾan or amulet box Possibly North Africa, 19th or 20th century Approximately 20 sheets of brass, steel, and nickel silver joined with gray lead-tin solder 16 × 18.2 × 2.4 cm (6 5/16 × 7 3/16 × 15/16 in.) 2002.50.121 Small boxes like this one were used to hold small Qurʾans, prayer manuals, or talismanic texts, which were written on long sheets of paper and folded repeatedly or rolled to fit the confines of their containers. The front of the box is decorated with a non-monetary coin surrounded by stylized vine-and-leaf motifs in relief. The coin features a six-pointed star popularly known as the Seal of Solomon, which—since Solomon was believed to have authority over supernatural powers—often adorns talismanic objects and texts. An arched lid closes the box; cords passed through its two handles would have allowed it to be suspended, providing protection to a place or a person. Ayşin Yoltar-Yıldırım Publication History Mary McWilliams, ed., In Harmony: The Norma Jean Calderwood Collection of Islamic Art, exh. cat., Harvard Art Museums (Cambridge, MA, 2013), p. 270, cat. 145, ill. Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
