A MAMLUK PIERCED AND SILVER INLAID BRASS PANEL from the side of a kursi (qur'an stand), of rectangular form, the central large panel with a border above and below, the central panel filled with densely scrolling spiralling vine aound a cusped medallion containing lotus flowers ringing the central interlace roundel, quatrefoils above and below filled with silver-inlaid lotus flowers, the bands above and below with Mamluk thuluth inscriptions inlaid in silver on scrolling floral grounds, the plain outer border with traces of attachment pins, early 14th century (very slight corrosion and loss of silver)

Details
A MAMLUK PIERCED AND SILVER INLAID BRASS PANEL from the side of a kursi (qur'an stand), of rectangular form, the central large panel with a border above and below, the central panel filled with densely scrolling spiralling vine aound a cusped medallion containing lotus flowers ringing the central interlace roundel, quatrefoils above and below filled with silver-inlaid lotus flowers, the bands above and below with Mamluk thuluth inscriptions inlaid in silver on scrolling floral grounds, the plain outer border with traces of attachment pins, early 14th century (very slight corrosion and loss of silver)
12 x 7¼in. (30.4 x 18.4cm.)

Lot Essay

The upper band of thuluth is from thr Qur'an, sura ix, v.111 (pt.), the lower band is inscribed 'ala nabi ya ayyuha alatheen amanu salu 'aleyhi wa salamu", which translates as .............. ......... ....... ....... ..... ........ .....

The compositon of this panel is very close to those on the famous kursi in the name of Sultan Muhammad b. Qala'un, dated AH 728/1327 AD in the Islamic Museum in Cairo. It has the same interlaced roundel enclosed by a cusped circle with quatrefoil cartouches at top and bottom, but instead of birds the cartouches here contain lotus flowers. The veins of the leaves in the scrolling ground are also engraved, as are those on the of the silver inlaid lotus flowers.

Wiet, Gaston: Objets en cuivre catalogue de musee arabe, Cairo 1932, pp.14-18, pl.1

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