A Fatimid carved marble finial, North Africa, 11th/12th century

Bonhams, London, The Jacques Desenfans Collection, 10 April 2008, lot 34

Jacques Desenfans was a celebrated collector of Islamic and Indian art, continuing his family's long established artistic tradition. His passion began while he was studying textile design in Lyon, during which time he assisted the management of the family textile business. The friendships and connections he developed with fellow Middle Eastern scholars and officials encouraged him to explore the region and learn Arabic. Desenfans dedicated his life to acquiring new objects and studying his collection. His acquisitions were on display in every room of his house and garden, drawing the attention of the Shah of Iran who paid the collection a personal visit in 1969.

inscriptions:

The Shahada:

‘There is no god but God, Muhammad (is) the Messenger of God.’

The use of floriated Kufic script on marble was common and widespread in Fatimid North Africa, often carved in high relief and adopting many styles. Two marble panels display a similar elegant and angular inscription to our object, one in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin (inv. no.I.4466) and the other in the Islamic Art Museum in Cairo (inv. no.15551/3), both dated to the tenth/eleventh century. Later examples from Egypt include an eleventh century cenotaph frieze also in Cairo (inv. no.2908) and a twelfth century funerary stele in the al-Sabah collection, Kuwait (inv. no.LNS 16 S) (both published in Trésors Fatimides du Caire's exhibition catalogue, 1998, cat. no.109 & 110, pp.164-5). Other examples can be found in Tunisia, such as the eleventh century commemorative plaque and epigraphic frieze a in the Raqqada Islamic Museum of Islamic Arts, Kairouan (inv. no.MR 003 & MR 010).