Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
The Aga Khan Museum preserves a magnificent leaf, possibly from a carob tree, that was dipped in gold and inscribed with a verse from the Qur’an (17:80) that calls upon God to grant believers an honorable entrance and exit. Most likely made in Ottoman lands during the 19th century, these types of inscribed tree leaves are relatively rare and quite fragile. The Aga Khan Museum’s leaf includes cursive calligraphy that takes the shape of a boat, suggesting a voyage, while its underlying “skeletal” structure suggests waves at sea. This talk explores this type of textualized plant matter, exploring its efficacy in evoking the brittleness of life and the passage of time.
The Aga Khan Museum preserves a magnificent leaf, possibly from a carob tree, that was dipped in gold and inscribed with a verse from the Qur’an (17:80) that calls upon God to grant believers an honorable entrance and exit. Most likely made in Ottoman lands during the 19th century, these types of inscribed tree leaves are relatively rare and quite fragile. The Aga Khan Museum’s leaf includes cursive calligraphy that takes the shape of a boat, suggesting a voyage, while its underlying “skeletal” structure suggests waves at sea. This talk explores this type of textualized plant matter, exploring its efficacy in evoking the brittleness of life and the passage of time.
