Candlestick inscribed with Wishes for Good Fortune, Peace, and Happiness to its Owner

Not on view

This brass candlestick was probably cast in three pieces which were then soldered. There are two bands of inscriptions: a knotted kufic one on the neck and a pierced thuluth inscription on the main body, both with common benedictory wishes for good fortune, peace, and happiness to its owner. Larger decorative elements such as the interlaced medallion motifs and the split-palmette vines were executed in a shallow repoussé and finer details such as the curling tendrils in the scrolling vines around the thuluth inscription were chased and further articulated by the use of a black organic compound. The shape of the candlestick—a narrow neck and wide, flaring base—is quite common and appears in miniature paintings from the the Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp. The pierced openwork body is unusual on such candlesticks.

Candlestick inscribed with Wishes for Good Fortune, Peace, and Happiness to its Owner, Brass; cast, pierced, engraved, and inlaid with black organic compound

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.