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Muhammad b. Abi Tahir

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Muhammad b. Abi Tahir
Full NameMuhammad b. Abi Tahir b. Abi l-Husayn b. Zayd
LineageAbu Tahir Family
Places of ResidenceKashan, Iran
Known forTiling for the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a) and the Lady Ma'suma (a)
WorksThe golden luster mihrab in front of the burial chamber of the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a) • The golden luster tile covering of the grave of Lady Ma'suma (a)


The golden luster mihrab in front of the burial chamber (Pish-i Ru), before its transfer to the Museum of Astan Quds.

Muḥammad b. Abī Ṭāhir (Persian: محمد بن ابی‌طاهر) was a tile-making artist of the late 6th/12th and early 7th/13th century, whose artistic peak is marked by works found in the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a) and the Holy Shrine of Lady Ma'suma (a). He is described as a talented artist and a skilled tile maker. Muhammad b. Abi Tahir is counted among the famous Abu Tahir family, the most renowned family of Iranian potter artists from Kashan, in the 6th/12th to 8th/14th centuries.

Among the known artistic works of Muhammad b. Abi Tahir in the burial chamber of the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a), reference is made to the golden luster mihrab "in front" (Pish-i Ru), the golden luster mihrab "at the foot" (Payin-i Pa), and the golden luster tile inscriptions around the door in front leading to the Dar al-Huffaz arcade. Another surviving work of his is the golden luster tile covering of the grave of Lady Ma'suma (a), which is considered one of the most exquisite works of golden luster tile art due to its construction features.

Golden luster tile inscriptions around the door in front of the burial chamber of the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a) (the smallest continuous inscription connected to both sides of the door).

Introduction and Status

Muhammad b. Abi Tahir was a tile-making artist of the late 6th/12th and early 7th/13th century, whose artistic peak is considered to be in works in the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a) and the Holy Shrine of Lady Ma'suma (a).[1] He is counted among the famous Abu Tahir family, the most renowned family of Iranian potter artists from Kashan, in the 6th/12th to 8th/14th centuries.[2]

Muhammad b. Abi Tahir is described as a talented artist and a skilled tile maker.[3] He is considered the first individual from the Abu Tahir family to have fully recorded his name on his works.[4] It is said that he was in charge of the most famous pottery workshops in Kashan.[5]

Artistic Heritage in the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a)

Among the known artistic works of Muhammad b. Abi Tahir, reference is made to the tiles, inscriptions, and golden luster mihrabs of the burial chamber of the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a).[6] The existence of multiple works by him in the burial chamber is considered a sign of his long activity in the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a).[7]

Golden Luster Mihrab In Front of the Burial Chamber (Pīsh-i Rū)

The golden luster mihrab "in front" (Pish-i Ru) in the burial chamber of the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a) is considered one of the masterpieces of 7th/13th-century tile work.[8] Among the three golden luster mihrabs of the burial chamber, this mihrab is considered the most excellent in terms of design and overall composition.[9] These mihrabs were located "in front" (the southwest wall of the burial chamber).[10] According to a report, this mihrab was transferred to the Museum of Astan Quds during the renovations of the years 1961 to 1965.[11]

It is reported that this mihrab was made by molding, and its surface is decorated with inscriptions, arabesque decoration, column designs, and arcades.[12] According to I'timad al-Saltana (d. 1313/1896), a Qajar statesman, in the text of the inscriptions of these mihrabs, besides a narration from Imam al-Rida (a), verses such as the Aman al-Rasul Verses, the Verse of Salawat, and the Verse of Shahada are inscribed.[13] According to him, at the bottom of this mihrab, the year of construction is recorded as Rabi' II 612/August 1215.[14]

It is reported that in the inscriptions of this mihrab, besides mentioning the collaborator in the construction of the mihrab (Abu Zayd Naqqash) and its founder ('Abd al-'Aziz b. Adam), in an inscription in Naskh script and in Arabic, the name of the main maker appears as follows: "The weakest of God's servants, Muhammad b. Abi Tahir b. Abi l-Husayn b. Zayd, in his handwriting, after he designed and made it. May God forgive him and all believing men and women for the sake of Muhammad and his pure family."[15] Some researchers have inferred from this phrase Muhammad b. Abi Tahir's complete mastery of various artistic techniques.[16]

Golden Luster Mihrab At the Foot of the Burial Chamber (Pāyīn-i Pā)

The mihrab in front of the burial chamber of the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a).

The golden luster mihrab "at the foot" (Payin-i Pa) in the burial chamber of the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a) is also considered one of the masterpieces of 7th/13th-century tile work.[17] Some researchers have counted this mihrab among the works of Muhammad b. Abi Tahir;[18] but in some other sources, it is considered among the works of his son, 'Ali b. Muhammad b. Abi Tahir.[19] It is reported that this mihrab was also transferred to the Museum of Astan Quds during the renovations of the years 1961 to 1965.[20]

According to a report, the surface of this mihrab is decorated with relief arabesque decoration and column designs;[21] the framing of the mihrab surface, while separating the inscriptions from each other, has adorned its border.[22] I'timad al-Saltana has reported the content of the inscriptions of this mihrab as follows: Al-Wilaya Verse in Kufic script, Qur'an 17:78 in Thuluth script, Verse of Shahada in Thuluth script, and verses 1 to 7 of Qur'an 23.[23]

Golden Luster Tile Inscriptions Around the Door In Front (Pish-i Ru)

The golden luster tile inscriptions around the door "in front" (Pish-i Ru) of the burial chamber of the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a), which leads to the Dar al-Huffaz portico, are also considered among the works of Muhammad b. Abi Tahir.[24] According to some reports, these distinguished[25] and exquisite[26] inscriptions are reported in raised azure Thuluth script on a painted background with semi-raised arabesque decoration with golden luster flowers and buds.[27] Their content is reported to be about Imam al-Rida (a) and his lineage up to Imam Ali (a).[28]

Above the entrance door "in front", a rectangular frame made of golden luster tile is reported, in which the following content appears in Arabic in large Thuluth script: "The mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon the Ahl al-Bayt".[29]

Part of the golden luster tiles of the grave of Lady Ma'suma (a).

According to some reports, among the raised letters of the inscription, the name of the founder of the inscriptions and the date of construction (Jumada I 1, 612 AH/August 29, 1215) are recorded in semi-raised Naskh script.[30] In another part, the name of Muhammad b. Abi Tahir, as the calligrapher and maker of the tile inscriptions appears in the same form as recorded in the golden luster mihrab "in front".[31]

Artistic Heritage in the Holy Shrine of Lady Ma'suma (a)

The golden luster tile covering of the grave of Lady Ma'suma (a) in Qom is considered another surviving work of Muhammad b. Abi Tahir.[32] These works are described as the most delicate works of golden luster tile art due to their construction features and are considered superior to all prominent artistic works in this field.[33]

According to Manuchehr Sutuda (d. 2016), an Iranologist, the design of the tiles on the upper surface of the shrine is in the form of a complete mihrab and is composed of various tile bricks.[34] According to him, seven inscriptions in different scripts and on backgrounds such as golden flowers and bushes are inscribed on these tiles with the following content: Salawat Kabir, Al-Kursi Verse, verses from Qur'an 3, Al-Wilaya Verse, verses from Qur'an 67, verses from Qur'an 10, and an inscription in Arabic with this content: "Written and made by Muhammad b. Abi Tahir b. Abi l-Husayn".[35]

According to Sutuda, on the four sides of the grave's stem, there are also seven rows of tile inscriptions containing Quranic verses, hadiths from the Prophet (s) and Imam Ali (a), and Persian poems. According to him, the name of the founder of the work (Muzaffar b. Ahmad b. Isma'il), the collaborators of Muhammad b. Abi Tahir (Abu Zayd Kashani and 'Ali b. Muhammad b. Abi Tahir), and the year of construction (602/1205-6) are inscribed on these inscriptions.[36]

Notes

  1. ↑ Karīmī, "Abū Ṭāhir (Khāndān)", p. 633.
  2. ↑ Bahrāmī, Ṣanāyiʿ-i Īrān, pp. 86-87; Karīmī, "Abū Ṭāhir (Khāndān)", p. 632.
  3. ↑ Karīmī, "Abū Ṭāhir (Khāndān)", p. 633.
  4. ↑ Karīmī, "Abū Ṭāhir (Khāndān)", p. 633.
  5. ↑ Karīmī, "Abū Ṭāhir (Khāndān)", p. 633.
  6. ↑ Karīmī, "Abū Ṭāhir (Khāndān)", p. 634.
  7. ↑ Khūrshīdī, Kāshī-kārī, p. 104.
  8. ↑ Sūhāniyān Ḥaqīqī, Nafāyis-i Ḥaram-i Raḍawī, p. 41; Labbāf Khānīkī, "Miḥrāb-i Pīsh-i Rū", p. 440.
  9. ↑ Karīmī, "Abū Ṭāhir (Khāndān)", p. 634.
  10. ↑ Muʾtaman, Rāhnamā, p. 76.
  11. ↑ Sūhāniyān Ḥaqīqī, Nafāyis-i Ḥaram-i Raḍawī, p. 41.
  12. ↑ Sūhāniyān Ḥaqīqī, Nafāyis-i Ḥaram-i Raḍawī, pp. 41-43.
  13. ↑ Iʿtimād al-Salṭana, Maṭlaʿ al-shams, vol. 2, pp. 60-61.
  14. ↑ Iʿtimād al-Salṭana, Maṭlaʿ al-shams, vol. 2, p. 61.
  15. ↑ Sūhāniyān Ḥaqīqī, Nafāyis-i Ḥaram-i Raḍawī, pp. 41-43.
  16. ↑ Karīmī, "Abū Ṭāhir (Khāndān)", p. 634.
  17. ↑ Sūhāniyān Ḥaqīqī, Nafāyis-i Ḥaram-i Raḍawī, p. 41; Mīshdār, "Miḥrāb-i Pāyīn-i Pā", p. 438.
  18. ↑ Sūhāniyān Ḥaqīqī, Nafāyis-i Ḥaram-i Raḍawī, p. 46; ʿĀlamzāda, Ḥaram-i Raḍawī bi riwāyat-i tārīkh, p. 56.
  19. ↑ See: Mīshdār, "Miḥrāb-i Pāyīn-i Pā", p. 438.
  20. ↑ Sūhāniyān Ḥaqīqī, Nafāyis-i Ḥaram-i Raḍawī, p. 41.
  21. ↑ Sūhāniyān Ḥaqīqī, Nafāyis-i Ḥaram-i Raḍawī, p. 44.
  22. ↑ Sūhāniyān Ḥaqīqī, Nafāyis-i Ḥaram-i Raḍawī, p. 44.
  23. ↑ Iʿtimād al-Salṭana, Maṭlaʿ al-shams, vol. 2, pp. 59-60.
  24. ↑ Khūrshīdī, Kāshī-kārī, p. 99; Karīmī, "Abū Ṭāhir (Khāndān)", p. 634.
  25. ↑ Iʿtimād al-Salṭana, Maṭlaʿ al-shams, vol. 2, p. 56.
  26. ↑ Muʾtaman, Rāhnamā, p. 80.
  27. ↑ Karīmī, "Abū Ṭāhir (Khāndān)", p. 634.
  28. ↑ Karīmī, "Abū Ṭāhir (Khāndān)", p. 634.
  29. ↑ Khūrshīdī, Kāshī-kārī, pp. 100-101.
  30. ↑ Iʿtimād al-Salṭana, Maṭlaʿ al-shams, vol. 2, p. 56; Karīmī, "Abū Ṭāhir (Khāndān)", p. 634.
  31. ↑ Karīmī, "Abū Ṭāhir (Khāndān)", p. 634.
  32. ↑ Karīmī, "Abū Ṭāhir (Khāndān)", p. 633.
  33. ↑ Sutūda, Kitāba-hā-yi Ḥaram-i Muṭahhar-i Ḥaḍrat-i Maʿṣūma (s), p. 2; Karīmī, "Abū Ṭāhir (Khāndān)", p. 633.
  34. ↑ Sutūda, Kitāba-hā-yi Ḥaram-i Muṭahhar-i Ḥaḍrat-i Maʿṣūma (s), p. 2.
  35. ↑ Sutūda, Kitāba-hā-yi Ḥaram-i Muṭahhar-i Ḥaḍrat-i Maʿṣūma (s), pp. 2-5.
  36. ↑ Sutūda, Kitāba-hā-yi Ḥaram-i Muṭahhar-i Ḥaḍrat-i Maʿṣūma (s), pp. 5-6.

References

  • ʿĀlamzāda, Buzurg. Ḥaram-i Raḍawī bi riwāyat-i tārīkh. Mashhad, Bih Nashr, 1395 Sh.
  • Bahrāmī, Mahdī. Ṣanāyiʿ-i Īrān: Ẓurūf-i sifālīn. Tehran, Tehran University Press, 1327 Sh.
  • Iʿtimād al-Salṭana, Muḥammad Ḥasan b. ʿAlī. Maṭlaʿ al-shams. Iran, n.p., 1301 AH.
  • Karīmī, Fāṭima. "Abū Ṭāhir (Khāndān)". In Dāʾirat al-maʿārif-i buzurg-i Islāmī (Vol. 5). Tehran, Markaz-i Dāʾirat al-Maʿārif-i Buzurg-i Islāmī, 1372 Sh.
  • Khūrshīdī, Hādī. Kāshī-kārī dar Ḥaram-i Muṭahhar-i Raḍawī. Mashhad, Bih Nashr & Institute of Artistic Creations of Astan Quds Razavi, 1396 Sh.
  • Labbāf Khānīkī, Rajabʿalī. "Miḥrāb-i Pīsh-i Rū". In Dāʾirat al-maʿārif-i Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī (Vol. 2). Mashhad, Islamic Research Foundation of Astan Quds Razavi, 1399 Sh.
  • Mīshdār, Ibrāhīm. "Miḥrāb-i Pāyīn-i Pā". In Dāʾirat al-maʿārif-i Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī (Vol. 2). Mashhad, Islamic Research Foundation of Astan Quds Razavi, 1399 Sh.
  • Muʾtaman, ʿAlī. Rāhnamā yā Tārīkh-i Āstān-i Quds-i Raḍawī. Tehran, n.p., 1348 Sh.
  • Sūhāniyān Ḥaqīqī, Muḥammad. Nafāyis-i Ḥaram-i Raḍawī. Mashhad, Islamic Research Foundation of Astan Quds Razavi, 1401 Sh.
  • Sutūda, Manūchihr. Kitāba-hā-yi Ḥaram-i Muṭahhar-i Ḥaḍrat-i Maʿṣūma (s) wa ḥaẓīra-hā-yi aṭrāf-i ān. Qom, Publications of Ayatollah Mar'ashi Najafi Library, 1375 Sh.
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