Artist: Designer, probably
Ustad Ahmad; master architect, Abdul al-Karim; chief caligrapher, Amanat
Khan; (one of many) artists, Makramat Khan.
Title: Taj Mahal, Agra. Detail of the inlaid calligraphy
on the entrance protal
Material: Marble and semi-precious stones
Site: Agra, India
Current Location: In situ
Period/Date: built 1632 - 1643, Mughal Dynasty under Emperor Shah Jahan
(r.1628-1658, d.1666).
Iconography/Iconology: Koranic passages, in some cases entire chapters,
are inscribed on the monument. The passages describe the rewards promised
to believers and the downfall that awaits non-believers on judgement day.
The passages were befitting of funeral monuments (Asher, AOMI, 214).
Stylistic Comments:
Asher, Catherine B. The New Cambridge History of India Architecture of Mughal India. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992.
