{"hits":{"total":2,"hits":[{"_index":"objects2-with-ascii","_id":"13611","_version":6,"_seq_no":110184,"_primary_term":1,"found":true,"_source":{"id":13611,"title":"Jali (window screen)","medium":"Red sandstone","classification":"Sculpture","dimension":"49 x 36 1/2 x 3 3/8 in. (124.5 x 92.7 x 8.6 cm)","object_name":"Jali","continent":"Asia","country":"India","nationality":"Indian","dated":"c. 1600–20","room":"G211","list":"himalayan-south-southeast-asian-and-islamic-art","role":"Artist","text":"Islamic kingdoms of Turkish, Central Asian, and Afghan origins began to exert influence over portions of the Indian subcontinent by about 800 CE. Of them, the impact of the Mughals (reign 1526–1858), famous for building the Taj Mahal, was among the greatest and most enduring. \r\n\r\nFluidly carved window screens, or jali, are found throughout South Asia. This jali likely lined a corridor surrounding the tomb of a Mughal emperor or a prominent saint. Jali allowed air and light to circulate within an architectural space, a device well suited for a harsh summer climate. But the design is not merely functional. The central panel features a lattice of interlocking curves—a geometric pattern capable of endless expansion, which in Islamic theology underscores the infinity of the universe. The lattice filtered sunlight into divine light, further invoked here by the calligraphic word “Allah, ” Arabic for God, which is carved on one side in the upper corners opposite the floral roundels.","creditline":"The Katherine Kittredge McMillan Memorial Fund","accession_number":"2000.78","artist":"India (Delhi-Agra region)","department":"Asian Art","rights_type":"Public Domain","image_width":3076,"image_height":3904,"recent":0,"see_also":[],"sort_number":"2000    78","dynasty":"Mughal dynasty (1526–1858)","image":"valid","public_access":1,"curator_approved":0,"highlights":0,"Cache_Location":"013000\\600\\10\\13611","Primary_RenditionNumber":"mia_39224a.jpg","Rights_Image_Display":"Full","TitleAlt":"Jali with pointed arch frame","list:himalayan-south-southeast-asian-and-islamic-art":true,"mtime":"2026-02-04T06:00:50.797Z"}},{"_index":"objects2-with-ascii","_id":"99789","_version":6,"_seq_no":123648,"_primary_term":1,"found":true,"_source":{"id":99789,"title":"Tiled Arch","medium":"Slip covered earthenware with underglaze painted cobalt blue and turquoise decor","classification":"Ceramics","dimension":"23 3/16 x 45 3/4 x 1 11/16 in. (58.9 x 116.21 x 4.29 cm)","object_name":"Tiled Arch","continent":"Asia","country":"Pakistan","nationality":"Pakistani","dated":"18th century","room":"G243","role":"Artist","text":"<I>God is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth\r\nThe example of His light is that of a niche, in which there is a lamp</I>\r\n– Surah An-Nor (“The Light”) 24:35\r\n\r\nThis Qur’anic verse compares God’s divine light with that of a lamp glowing within a niche, and is often featured encircling the mihrab, a recessed space in a mosque that indicates the direction of prayer towards Mecca. Although these two artworks did not arise from specifically religious contexts, in combination they give form to this important Islamic concept.\r\nThe tiled arch, perhaps from a palace, demonstrates the profusion of Islamic ceramic traditions in South Asia. The lyrical flower and vine motifs recall the atmosphere of al-Janna, or Garden of Eden, profusely described in over 130 Qur’anic verses. The vase is European, created by French ceramicist Théodore Deck, whose creative process involved emulating designs from what was then called the ‘Orient.’ He masterfully combined many of the glazes and patterns seen in the cases behind, laying them onto the form of a mosque lamp, which in Islamic contexts would have been made of glass. The Arabic script is ornamental, or pseudo-calligraphy, not intended to be read.","creditline":"The Katherine Kittredge McMillan Memorial Fund","accession_number":"2006.35","artist":"Pakistan","department":"Asian Art","rights_type":"Public Domain","image_width":4978,"image_height":2640,"recent":0,"see_also":[],"sort_number":"2006    35","dynasty":"Mughal dynasty","image":"valid","public_access":1,"curator_approved":0,"highlights":0,"Cache_Location":"099000\\700\\80\\99789","Primary_RenditionNumber":"mia_2005448.jpg","Rights_Image_Display":"Full","mtime":"2026-02-04T06:00:50.797Z"}}]}}