End of a Moharram processional banner, 'Alam

End of a Moharram processional banner, 'Alam

Iran, 18th century

Ferrous alloy, mandorla-shaped, composed of two plates, joined in the middle by a crossbar. Openwork epigraphic decoration on the whole, and on a background of openwork foliage (rusted). H. 93 cm Provenance : Jean-Charles Tauzin Collection (1889-1957) Inscriptions from outside to inside: - C.62, 1 and 2 (partially): "What is in the heavens and what is on earth glorify Allah, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Powerful, the Wise. It is He who has sent to people without a Book (the Arabs) a Messenger of theirs who recites His verses to them, purifies them and teaches them"; - a Quranic inscription on a scroll background; - and the last "Ya Aba Abdillah Al-Hussein / O father of Abdullah, Imam Hussein". From the 16th century in Iran, the 'alam (standard) left its original function as a military standard to be used in a ceremonial context, evolving right up to the present day into a religious context linked to Shiite rituals. In a quest to assert its spiritual power, the Safavid Empire developed shrines and rituals linked to Shiite figures, as opposed to the Ottoman Empire, which was in charge of the holy sites of Mecca and Medina. This period saw the codification of the 'Ashura, a rite commemorating the battle of Karbalâ', which saw the death of the Prophet Hussein's grandson. In these processions, the 'alam is the most imposing and important element. It has a symbolic value and becomes a devotional object, almost a relic, representing the personality of Hussein, and by extension all the members of 'Ali's family. The present 'alam belongs to a typology typical of the 18th century, almond-shaped planispheric, regularly signed and dated, see "Recherches sur le 'alam du XVIe au XIXe siècle en contextes iranien et indien", Anne-Sophie Joncoux, Université Paris IV Sorbonne, under the direction of J. P. Van Staevel and E. Brac de la Perrière, 2011, corpus n°16 and 17 in particular. For similar examples see: "Persian Steel, The Tanavoli Collection", J.W. Allan, Yassavoli Publications in association with Iran Heritage Foundation, 2000, p.75; Stuttgart, Linden-Museum, Inv. N° A35 386L. Musée du Louvre, Département des Arts de l'Islam ; " Extrémité de 'alam ", Inventory no. 71.1967.111.66. ; MKG Museum for Applied Arts, Standard " Alam ", Inventory no. 1991. 215. The tip of a Moharram procession standard, 'Alam, Iran, 18th-19th century