Old Wood Madrasah School Qu'ran Verses Tablet-AFRICA
An old Qu'ran wood tablet from a madrasah or Qu'ranic school.
The teachings at Madrasah schools begin at the primary level passing through all other levels up to university level; courses are diverse and varied ranging from law, ethics, chemistry physics, astronomy to medicine and more, however, the fundamental and earliest teachings are those of the Qu'ran, as pupils at the young age of six will begin their studies and formation.
The wood tablet presented here which is inscribed with a verse of the Qu'ran is used as a type of page from the sacred book. Numerous tablets, each inscribed with a different verses will be passed and shared in the classroom between the students. Each pupil will learn the verses by heart as it is the objective to memorize the entire sacred script of the Qu'ran by heart.
By age twelve, the pupil has attained the goal of having memorized the entire Qu'ran by heart. From the age of 12 to 14 the young pupil will undertake various studies and by age 14, he or she is expected to decide on some area of specialization.
The madrasah school tablet is inscribed with a permanent ink, in this case it appears to be natural indigo, obtained from the indigotin plant, nowadays, commercial man-made indigo is available or other mediums for writing are readily available.
This piece was collected in Timbuktu, a legendary learning center with numerous madrasahs, mosques, libraries and universities all of these were renowned learning centers, some of these dating back to the 12th century, still standing and preserved - Collected in Mali.
Origin: MALI
Age: Mid 20th century
Materials: Wood and indigo ink
Condition details: Good with usage patina
Dimensions/Weight: 53 x 16 cm (21 x 6 1/4) - 585 grams 1 lb 6 oz
Inner Diam/Ring Size: N/A
