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Writing Tablet

MOA: University of British Columbia

3420/43

Writing tablet, or prayer board. Invocations for blessings handwritten on the front. The board is oval-shaped. There is a large five-point star drawn within the writing near the base.

  • Narrative

    Obtained by Tchuemegne from Mr. Senoula, the former headmaster of a Qur'anic school in Bamako that had recently closed. The boards were said to have been in use at the school since it had opened in the early 1980s.

  • History Of Use

    Though beginning with an invocation to Allah and acknowledgement of Muhammad and the saints, the texts do not copy Qur’anic verses, but list a series of blessings.

  • Type of Item tablet
  • Culture Malian
  • Material wood, paint
  • Measurements height 50.5 cm, width 15.4 cm, depth 1.0 cm (overall)
  • Previous Owner Richard Tchuemegne
  • Received from Richard Tchuemegne, Michael O'Brian Family Foundation, Museum of Anthropology Exhibitions Budget
  • Made in Bamako
  • Creation Date between 1980 and 1984
  • Ownership Date before February 5, 2020
  • Acquisition Date on February 5, 2020
  • Condition good
  • Accession Number 3420/0043

Keyboard Shortcuts