A LARGE CALLIGRAPHIC WOOD COLUMN, INSCRIBED IN KUFIC, NASKH, AND THULUTH, WITH A MASSIVE STONE BASE
This lot is a museum deaccession and is therefore offered without reserve

The column from Western Asia, 18th-19th century or possibly earlier. The base and capital from Western India, Gujarat, 19th to mid-20th century. Of cylindrical form, the wooden shaft carved in high relief with stylized square Kufic, Naskh, and Thuluth scripts containing religious invocations and devotional prayers from the Shahada and the Basmala, two fundamental declarations of the Islamic faith, arranged in four encircling bands.

The removable stone base finely decorated with lozenge and checkered patterns, stylized floral heads, and a prominent rope-like band encircling its upper section. The wood capital embellished with further foliate motifs and a broad beaded band. Both the inscriptions on the shaft and the decorative elements of the base and capital partially lacquered in shades of turquoise blue.

Provenance: Galerie Hardt (established in 1976), Radevormwald, Germany, before 2020. Acquired by the gallery’s founder Peter Hardt (b. 1946) during his extensive travels in Asia, the first of which occurred during a formative world tour in 1973. Throughout his storied career, Peter Kienzle-Hardt organized countless exhibitions and participated in major international art fairs. He made many important contacts during this time and eventually met the Kienzle siblings, who shared his passion for Asian art and culture. A strong bond and deep friendship developed, ultimately leading to the creation of the Museum für Asiatische Kunst decades later in 2014. While the museum’s permanent exhibition predominantly comprised pieces from the Kienzle Family Collection, Peter Kienzle-Hardt supplemented it with objects from his own collection. Before his death in 2019, Horst Kienzle bequeathed his entire property to Peter and legally adopted him as his son, who has been using the name Peter Kienzle-Hardt ever since.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear, traces of use, manufacturing irregularities, signs of weathering and erosion, scattered nicks and scratches, natural fissures and age cracks, small losses to exposed areas, encrustations, remnants of pigment. The base and column appear to have been associated in the 19th century.

Dimensions: Height 295 cm

The pillar is fitted with metal plates at both ends to support and screw the sandstone base and stone crown.

The inscription ‘There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger’ (La ilaha illa Allah, Muḥammadun Rasulu Allah) contained in the upper section of the carved shaft refers to the Shahada, a declaration of faith in the oneness of God, according to Islamic belief and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Its recitation constitutes one of the Five Pillars of Islam in Sunni tradition and represents the profession of faith that every Muslim must pronounce to enter the Islamic religion. The presence of this formula on the surface of the column imbues it with symbolic significance, presenting this foundational statement as a spiritual and moral cornerstone of the Islamic community.

‘In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful’ (Bismillah al-Raḥman al-Rahim) is also inscribed along the intermediate sections of the shaft. Known as the Basmala, this revered formula precedes all but one sura (chapter) of the Qur’an (the exception being Sura 9, al-Tawba) and is among the most frequently uttered verses in the devotional and everyday lives of Muslims. More than a textual preamble, the Basmala serves as a verbal invocation of the divine, recited before engaging in a wide range of actions, from prayer and study to eating or travel. Its inclusion on the column may be understood as a symbolic sanctification of the architectural space, an invocation of divine blessing, and an expression of humility before God.

Literature comparison:
Compare a pair of earlier wood square columns with floriated Kufic script featuring verses from the Qur’an, Syria, dated 13th century, in the Museum With No Frontiers, inventory number 145-146.