Een Chinese bronzen wierookbrander voor de islamitische markt, Xuande merk, late Ming

L.: 15 cm - H.: 12 cm

Provenance: A private collection in the south of France.

The sides with four cartouches containing Sini-style Arabic inscriptions against a stippled ground.
On the long sides, we read in Arabic: لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله. This translates to: 'There is no deity but God; Muhammad is the messenger of God'. This phrase, called the shahada or Muslim creed, is the declaration of belief in the oneness of God and in Muhammad as His messenger. Recitation of the shahada is considered one of the five pillars of Islam by Sunni Muslims. By sincerely stating the shahada aloud before two witnesses, one is considered to have converted to Islam.

On one short side, we read in Arabic: ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ‎. This Arabic phrase is called Tahmid or Hamdalah. It is pronounced 'Alhamdulillah', which translates to: 'Praise be to God', or 'Thank God'.
On the other short side, we read in Arabic: سبحان الله. Subhanallah is a central word in Islam which generally means 'Allah is Perfect', 'Glory be to God', 'How Free of any Imperfection is Allah', 'May He Be Exalted'.