This thin, smooth wooden tablet, which is rounded at the top, has been finely decorated on both sides with Islamic script - which is now, in parts, washed and faded. One side of the board features a geometric design with numbers, while the other side displays a drawing of a cow or buffalo.
Boards such as this were most often used by young Muslim students who were learning to read, write and recite Sura or passages from the Koran. Writing boards would also be used in contexts that synthesised earlier animistic beliefs and the later Islamic faith, illustrated by the writing onto boards or animal skin of passages from the Koran or other sources by ritual practitioners visited by clients seeking protection against disease or misfortune.
Estimated Period: Mid-20th Century
Height: 52cm
Width: 18cm
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