About the Artwork
“Sovereignty belongs to God” is the inscription on this bracelet, spelled out in grains of gold, intertwined with floral scrolls, and adorned with filigree.
Little remains of the rich legacy of early Islamic jewelry, but what has survived demonstrates its great quality. The Fatimids (909–1176) ruled Tunisia, Egypt, and Syria for two hundred years and commissioned luxury objects of exquisite workmanship. This bracelet, made in Syria, illustrates the heights achieved by the Fatimid goldsmith.
Bracelet
between 1000 and 1100
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Syrian
Islamic
Gold
Overall (diam.): 2 3/4 inches (7 cm) Overall (diam. through hinged lock): 1 1/4 inches (3.2 cm)
Jewelry
Islamic Art
Gift of Mrs. Roscoe B. Jackson
26.15
Public Domain
Markings
Inscribed, near hinge, on both sides, Kufic script, probably: al-mulk li'llah [translated: Sovereignty is God's]
Provenance
Mrs. Roscoe B. Jackson;1926-present, gift to the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
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Provenance pageExhibition History
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The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.
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Suggest FeedbackPublished References
The Heritage of Islam, Pattern and Precision, National Committee: Islam Centennial Fourteen, 1982, object list no. 178.
Henshaw, Julia P., ed. A Visitors Guide: The Detroit Institute of Arts. Detroit, 1995, p. 128 (ill.).
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Credit Line for Reproduction
Islamic, Syrian, Bracelet, between 1000 and 1100, gold. Detroit Institute of Arts, Gift of Mrs. Roscoe B. Jackson, 26.15.
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