Writing board (Koranic)
20th century
Object PlaceAfrica
Medium/Techniquewood, ink
DimensionsOverall: 64.2 x 21.2 x 1 cm (25 1/4 x 8 3/8 x 3/8 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2596
On View
Not on viewClassificationsReligious and cult objects
Collections
Islam has a long history in North Africa dating back to the 7th century C.E. when Arabic armies were able to take control from the Byzantine Empire. Writing boards are used in Madrasas, schools that teach children the Qur'an, to aid students in memorization of the text. A person that commits the Qu'ran to memory is called a hafiz.
Provenance1989, sold by Galerie Majestic, Paris, to Geneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)
20th century
19th century
mid-20th century
20th century
18th–19th century
1550–1295 B.C.
1514–1493 B.C.