A Rare Pair of Persian Safavid Damascend Steel Panels 'Damascus' steel with gold overlay

Epoque: 1500-1600

Origine: Persian

Medium: 'Damascus' steel with gold overlay

Dimension: 20.5 x 12 cm (8¹/₈ x 4³/₄ inches)

Literature: Fourteen other examples of these panels have been published. Two are in the David collection 'Art from the World of Islam' Kjeld von Folsach, Copenhagen, 2001 ( 20 A-B / 1993 ). Four were in the Khalili Gallery '1400 years of Islamic Art' London 1981 no's 54 A-D. Four others are in the Linden Museum, Stuttgart ( Kalter, J. Islamic Art Linden Museum, Stuttgart. 1987 page 29 fig 25 ) While a further two were sold at Christies, 20th October 1992 lots 159 and 160, and another two by them in October 1993 lots 380 and 381. A further unpublished group is in the al-Sabah collection in Kuwait.
Each panel contains one of the 99 names of God. It seems very probable that these panels formed an upper decorative feature on an important Persian Safavid shrine. The small lugs at the base of each one also support this theory.