Lot 133: A QAJAR CARNELIAN AMULET PLAQUE ENGRAVED WITH THE FOURTEEN INFALLIBLES, PERSIA, 19TH CENTURY

This rectangular carnelian plaque is of a deep, translucent orange-red colour. The stone is cut with an octagonal profile featuring wide beveled edges. The face is meticulously engraved with three horizontal registers of Arabic calligraphy in a refined Naskh/Thuluth script, with the rows separated by ruled horizontal lines. The inscription lists the names of the Fourteen Infallibles, a central element of Shia Islamic devotion. The top register contains the names Allah, Muhammad, Fatima, and Ali. The middle and lower registers continue with the names of the remaining Imams: Hasan, Husayn, Ali, Muhammad, Ja’far, Musa, Ali, Muhammad, Ali, Hasan, and Muhammad (referring to the Mahdi). The calligraphy is executed in intaglio and highlighted with a gold-pigmented material, a technique known as tilla-kari. The interstices between the calligraphic forms are decorated with small, stylized floral sprays and decorative dots.

L: 3.2cm