Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Qur'an Board
From an early age, Muslims are encouraged to memorize the Qur'an. By adulthood, many can recite long passages, if not the entire text. In Qur'anic schools across northern Africa, students commit verses of the Qur'an to memory by writing them on Qur'an boards, or "lawh." Faint traces of words are still visible on this example. Once a verse was memorized, the board was washed off with water, and the student could start afresh. The water was treated with great reverence, for it was believed to contain the words of God and at times was used to ward off illnesses.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Sam Fogg, London [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 2007, by purchase.
Exhibitions
| 2010 | Poetry and Prayer: Islamic Manuscripts from the Walters Art Museum. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 3/27/2017 | Examination | Examined for exhibition |
| 3/27/2017 | Examination | Faint writing is visible on both sides of the board. The board is stable and no treatment was needed. |
Geographies
Sudan (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 20 1/2 × W: 10 7/8 × D: 3/8 in. (52 × 27.6 × 1 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, 2007
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
61.347