long, oversized strand of large beads covered in gold leaf; tube shaped pendant with one bulbous end; three dangles of braided gold cord hanging off end of pendant, with round and disc shaped beads at end

Tasbih %C2%A9 2016 Zarina. All rights reserved.

Tasbih, 2016

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On View in Gallery 211expand_more

Referring to trauma, displacement, and religious practice, this sculpture by Zarina is at once playful in conception—it first reads as an oversized gold necklace—and layered with memory. The work evokes her early experience of loss felt when her Muslim family was uprooted in India and fled to Pakistan. Here a string of Islamic prayer beads (tasbih) is sensitively reconstructed to an amplified yet still human scale. Made of sheesham, or Indian Rosewood, and covered in gold leaf, the rich tactility of the surface evokes the ritual handling of each of the ninety-nine beads, respectively enunciating the 99 names of Allah. The shimmering gold evokes the Sufi concept of noor, or divine light—a symbol of spiritual union with God.

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Details
Title
Tasbih
Artist Life
1937-2020
Role
Artist
Dimension
90 in. (total length)
Accession Number
2022.14
Curator Approved

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long, oversized strand of large beads covered in gold leaf; tube shaped pendant with one bulbous end; three dangles of braided gold cord hanging off end of pendant, with round and disc shaped beads at end

Tasbih © 2016 Zarina. All rights reserved.

Because of © restrictions, we can only show you a small image of this artwork. (You'll have to come see it in person.)