Mosque Lamp thumbnail 1
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Mosque Lamp

1342-1345 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Egypt (made)
Syria (made)

This footed lamp is made of greyish colourless glass, decorated with red, white and blue enamels. It has a flared base and a slightly less flaring neck. The inscriptions and blazons on it can be related to Shibl al-Daula Kafur al-Rumi, who was the treasurer of the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt, al-Salih Isma’il (1342-1345). It was probably ordered to form part of the decorative lighting for a building commissioned by Kafur al-Rumi on behalf of this ruler.

Object details

Categories
Islam
Glass
Lighting
Africa
Object type
Mosque lamp
Materials and techniques
Glass, gilded and enamelled
Glass
Enamel
Gilt
Firing
Painting
Gilding
Brief description
Lamp with inscriptions naming the Mamluk official Kafur al-Rumi, Egypt, 1342-5.
Physical description
Footed lamp of greyish colorless glass decorated with red, white, blue enamels. Flared base and less flared neck. Inscriptions and blazon of Shibl al-Daula Kafur al-Rumi, treasurer to the Mamluk Sultan al-Salih Isma`il (1342-45)
Dimensions
  • Height: 26cm
  • Maximum width: 17cm
Style
Mamluk
Marks and inscriptions
Inscriptions and blazon of Shibl al-Daula Kafur al-Rumi, treasurer to the Mamluk Sultan al-Salih Isma'il (1342-45) (Decoration; Arabic; naskhi; on body)
Gallery label
(Jameel Gallery)
Jameel Gallery

Glass Lamps
Egypt or Syria
About 1250 and 1342–5

The lamp on the left is decorated with three mounted falconers. The presence of human figures indicates that it was made for a domestic, non-religious setting. The lamp on the right has no figures. It was probably commissioned for a religious institution by a Mamluk official called Kafur al-Rumi, who is named in the inscriptions.

Glass, enamelled and gilded

Museum nos. 330-1900; 6820-1860
Object history
Ordered for a building commissioned by Kafur al-Rumi, Treasurer to the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt al-Salih Ismail (1342-45).
Production
date: 'probably'
Subject depicted
Geometric Patterns
Summary
This footed lamp is made of greyish colourless glass, decorated with red, white and blue enamels. It has a flared base and a slightly less flaring neck. The inscriptions and blazons on it can be related to Shibl al-Daula Kafur al-Rumi, who was the treasurer of the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt, al-Salih Isma’il (1342-1345). It was probably ordered to form part of the decorative lighting for a building commissioned by Kafur al-Rumi on behalf of this ruler.
Bibliographic references
  • Lamm (1930; 200:2), Wiet (1929;p.164,no.51), Mayer (Saracenic Heraldry; p.135)
  • Tim Stanley (ed.), with Mariam Rosser-Owen and Stephen Vernoit, Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Middle East, London, V&A Publications, 2004 pp.24, 45, 49, 52
Collection
Middle East Section
Accession number
6820-1860

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdDecember 13, 1997
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1768/mosque-lamp-unknown/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest