Name of Object:

Inscription stone

Location:

Amman, Jordan

Holding Museum:

Jordan Archaeological Museum

About Jordan Archaeological Museum, Amman

Current Owner:

Now on display at Jordan Museum

Date of Object:

Hegira, first half of the 2nd century / AD 8th century

Museum Inventory Number:

J.6383

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Engraved stone.

Dimensions:

Height 70 cm, width 38 cm

Period / Dynasty:

Umayyad

Provenance:

Amman, Jordan.

Description:

A rectangular inscribed stone that has a Qur'anic verse known as 'Ayat al-Kursi' ('the Throne Verse') from Sura 2 (al-Baqara), verse 255:

'God! There is no God but he, the living, the self-subsisting: neither slumber nor sleep seizeth him! To him belong what so ever is in heaven, and on earth. Who is he that can intercede with him, but through his good pleasure? He knows that which is past, and that which is it come unto them, and they shall not comprehend anything of his knowledge, but so far as he pleaseth. His throne is extended over heaven and earth, and preservation of both is no burden unto him. He is the high, the mighty.'

The inscription in kufic script is deeply incised into the stone. Comprising about ten lines, the letters are long and angular in shape, an indication that this stone inscription is of an early date. The function of the stone was to protect the owner, his family and the house from the 'evil eye'. This custom is still alive very much alive today; in many Jordanian houses one will still see such blessings on ceramic panels, laminated copper panels, embroideries, and for women and children, gold pendants.

An inscribed stone from Amman with a Qur’anic verse known as Ayat al-Kursi from Sura 2 (al-Baqara), verse 255. The kufic script is typically Umayyad. The function of the stone was to protect the owner, his family and the house from the ‘evil eye’. This custom is still very much alive today.

How date and origin were established:

The inscription stone was dated by stylistic analysis of the script and by dating pottery shards that were found in the in the archaeological strata close by.

How Object was obtained:

The inscription stone was found in 1958 in the course of a rescue excavation carried out by the Department of Antiquities of in the centre of Amman.

How provenance was established:

The provenance of this inscription stone is known because it was found during an archaeological excavation at in the centre of Amman.

Selected bibliography:

العابدي. محمود، الآثار الإسلامية في فلسطين و الأردن، عمان، 1973، ص 238.

Citation of this web page:

Aida Naghawy "Inscription stone" in Discover Islamic Art, Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;jo;Mus01;4;en

Prepared by: Aida NaghawyAida Naghawy

Aida Naghawy is an archaeologist and the Director of Jordan Archaeological Museum. She studied archaeology at the University of Jordan where she gained her MA. She was affiliated to the Jordanian Department of Antiquities from 1974 as a curator of Jordan Archaeological Museum. In 1981 she became inspector of Jerash antiquities and co-ordinator of the Jerash International Rehabilitation project. She was also head of the archaeological awareness section at the Department of Antiquities. Aida is the author of numerous publications on Islamic coins. She has carried out excavation work in Jerash and is the founder of Jerash Archaeological Museum and the Islamic Museum of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs.
Copyedited by: Mandi GomezMandi Gomez

Amanda Gomez is a freelance copy-editor and proofreader working in London. She studied Art History and Literature at Essex University (1986–89) and received her MA (Area Studies Africa: Art, Literature, African Thought) from SOAS in 1990. She worked as an editorial assistant for the independent publisher Bellew Publishing (1991–94) and studied at Bookhouse and the London College of Printing on day release. She was publications officer at the Museum of London until 2000 and then took a role at Art Books International, where she worked on projects for independent publishers and arts institutions that included MWNF’s English-language editions of the books series Islamic Art in the Mediterranean. She was part of the editorial team for further MWNF iterations: Discover Islamic Art in the Mediterranean Virtual Museum and the illustrated volume Discover Islamic Art in the Mediterranean.

True to its ethos of connecting people through the arts, MWNF has provided Amanda with valuable opportunities for discovery and learning, increased her editorial experience, and connected her with publishers and institutions all over the world. More recently, the projects she has worked on include MWNF’s Sharing History Virtual Museum and Exhibition series, Vitra Design Museum’s Victor Papanek and Objects of Desire, and Haus der Kulturen der Welt’s online publication 2 or 3 Tigers and its volume Race, Nation, Class.

MWNF Working Number: JO 04