An exceptional white-marble funerary stele carved from a Roman architectural fragment, North Africa, Probably Tunisia, Dated A.H. Jumadi II 377/A.D. 12 October 987

body of rectangular form with waisted neck and bun-form finial, one panel of kufic inscription recording the name of Jarum ibn Jallad the leather merchant and the date of his death and collection of his body from Cairo in A.H. Sha'ban 373/A.D. 22 January 984 by his brother, and the date of his burial in A.H. 377/A.D. 987, the verso with scrolling acanthus leaves in high relief

Formerly in a Belgian private collection, acquired in North Africa in the 1950s

This is a fine and early example of the pillar tombstones of North Africa. 

The production of this type of funerary stele was largely confined to Tunisia during the eleventh and twelfth centuries, although some do appear in Egypt, and this is a tenth century example of the type.  For published examples of a cylindrical stele of this type see De Carthage a Kairouan, Paris 1982, p.210, cat.280 and more importantly cat.284, p.214; with its waisted neck, and arched panel against a scrolling motif it is closely comparable to this example.

For further discussion of these tomb stones refer to Zbiss, M. Z.: Inscriptions de Monastir, corpus des inscriptions arabes de Tunise, Tunis, 1960.  Other examples of this type have been sold previously, see Christie's 11 April 2000, lot 312 and 27 April 2004, lot 9.