Candlestick
14th century (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This lamp stand is a very late example of a shape inherited from the ancient world. The upper section, now missing, would have supported a tray for small oil lamps. The decoration, however, is typical of the 14th century. The inscription praises an unnamed Mamluk official.
The lamp stand is decorated in a style that developed during the first century of Mamluk rule in Egypt and Syria (1250–1350). This was the period when the sultanate was at the height of its power. The secular decoration on objects like this shows that they were made for palaces rather than religious buildings.
At first, scenes with human figures were common. These disappeared after 1300, and elegant inscriptions in Arabic became more prominent. The texts all name the patron or glorify the sultan.
The lamp stand is decorated in a style that developed during the first century of Mamluk rule in Egypt and Syria (1250–1350). This was the period when the sultanate was at the height of its power. The secular decoration on objects like this shows that they were made for palaces rather than religious buildings.
At first, scenes with human figures were common. These disappeared after 1300, and elegant inscriptions in Arabic became more prominent. The texts all name the patron or glorify the sultan.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Hammered brass inlaid with chased silver and engraved |
Brief description | Brass lampstand inlaid with inscriptions, Egypt or Syria, 14th century. |
Physical description | Base of a candlestick, brass inlaid with chased silver and engraved with birds and arabesques. Round central band with inscription in silver inlay naming the owner and attributing date of 14th century. Remaining medallions are filled with birds and arrangements of whorled bands. |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Gallery label | Jameel Gallery
Lampstand
Egypt or Syria
1300-1400
This is a very late example of a shape inherited from the ancient world. The upper section, now missing, would have supported a tray for small oil lamps. The decoration, however, is typical of the 14th century. As on the basin to the left, the inscription praises an unnamed Mamluk official.
Brass inlaid with silver and a black composition
Museum no. 912-1884(Jameel Gallery) |
Object history | Bought from the collection of Gaston de Saint-Maurice (1831-1905) in 1884. Saint-Maurice displayed his extensive art collection at the 1878 Paris exhibition, in a gallery entitled L'Egypte des Khalifes. This was part of an official sequence of displays celebrating the history of Egypt, presented by the Egyptian state at this international event. Saint-Maurice held a position at the Khedival court, and had lived in Cairo in 1868-1878. Following the exhibition, Saint-Maurice offered his collection for sale to the South Kensington Museum (today the V&A). |
Subjects depicted | |
Associations | |
Summary | This lamp stand is a very late example of a shape inherited from the ancient world. The upper section, now missing, would have supported a tray for small oil lamps. The decoration, however, is typical of the 14th century. The inscription praises an unnamed Mamluk official. The lamp stand is decorated in a style that developed during the first century of Mamluk rule in Egypt and Syria (1250–1350). This was the period when the sultanate was at the height of its power. The secular decoration on objects like this shows that they were made for palaces rather than religious buildings. At first, scenes with human figures were common. These disappeared after 1300, and elegant inscriptions in Arabic became more prominent. The texts all name the patron or glorify the sultan. |
Bibliographic reference | Stanley Lane-Poole, The Art of the Saracens in Egypt, London, 1886, p. 232. |
Collection | |
Accession number | 912-1884 |
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Record created | December 7, 2004 |
Record URL |
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