Star-shaped panel, carved wood, inlaid with ivory
Egypt, Cairo; c. 1300
Diam: 23.9 cm
Inventory number 6/2008
Woodcarvings were used on a large scale under the Mamluks to decorate_minbars_ (pulpits), Koran stands, and doors. Coloristic effects could be achieved by using ivory inlays and combining ebony with other different-colored woods.
The ebony of the central part of this star-shaped panel is embellished with a complex arabesque, while the light-colored wood has much simpler vegetal ornamentation. The panel probably comes from a minbar or a door, where it was combined with carved wooden panels of other geometrical shapes.
The ornamentation is related to that on a minbar made in Cairo for the emir Baktimur al-Jukandar in 1299.
The ebony of the central part of this star-shaped panel is embellished with a complex arabesque, while the light-colored wood has much simpler vegetal ornamentation. The panel probably comes from a minbar or a door, where it was combined with carved wooden panels of other geometrical shapes.
The ornamentation is related to that on a minbar made in Cairo for the emir Baktimur al-Jukandar in 1299.
