Silver Koran Box, Morocco

Chased & Engraved Silver Koran Box

This elegant, slim solid-silver box is from Morocco, most probably from the desolate central Anti-Atlas Mountain region. It was made to house a small Koran. The box could then be worn, perhaps as a protective talisman. It comprises the box with lug and ringlet on each side; and a domed, hinged cover. It is very finely engraved all over with Islamic-insipred scrollwork and geometric borders. A central, eight-pointed star (the Rub el Hizb) filled with an Arabic inscription is on one side. Two mihrab-style panels are engraved on the other side and each of these is filled with an Arabic inscription.

The

Rub el Hizb,represented as two overlapping squares, is a symbol often associated with the Koran, and is used as a pictorial device for dividing the Koran into more memorable sections to facilitate recitation.

Other examples are illustrated in Grammet & de Meersman (1998, p. 296), and Rabate & Goldenberg (1999, p. 175).

The box here has a lovely, soft patina. Its age is clearly evident. It is in excellent condition, and is the most pleasing example of such a box we have seen, published or otherwise.