Panel
1200-1299
| Place of origin |
These five panels were probably carved in Egypt during the thirteenth century A.D. Wooden objects were luxuries in medieval Egypt; they were carved with intricate patterns and inlaid with materials such as ivory. Such panels were used as part of the architectural décor in the mosques of Egypt. They were used to make richly decorated cenotaphs and minbars (a pulpit in a mosque).
This set of panels was carved in Egypt. They were probably made during the period of Ayyubid rule (1171- 1250), when Egypt was ruled by the dynasty of Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub (more commonly known as Saladin the conqueror). They possibly date to the 13th century A.D.
These five panels were probably part of a cenotaph or a minbar (pulpit in a mosque). The carving on the panels is similar to that found on another panel owned by the V&A Museum Number 981-1883.
This set of panels was carved in Egypt. They were probably made during the period of Ayyubid rule (1171- 1250), when Egypt was ruled by the dynasty of Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub (more commonly known as Saladin the conqueror). They possibly date to the 13th century A.D.
These five panels were probably part of a cenotaph or a minbar (pulpit in a mosque). The carving on the panels is similar to that found on another panel owned by the V&A Museum Number 981-1883.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 5 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Wood carved with two levels of relief and inlaid with thin bands of ivory |
| Brief description | Five wooden panels mounted on a board, Egypt, late Ayyubid period or early Mamluk period, 1200-1299 |
| Physical description | This object is comprised of five separate rectangular panels, some of which have been mounted onto board. Each panel has been carved from a dark wood. At the centre of the panel is a repetitive circular scrollwork pattern. This is interlaced with a strapwork motif. Framing the central design is an inlaid border created from two thin bands of ivory. In between these bands is a scrollwork design, carved in low relief. Each panel is carved with a subtle variation on the central design. Shallow grooves have been carved into the sides of each panel. One of the panels (1078A -1869) has fragments of red pigment on its surface, which suggests the group of panels may have been painted. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Object history | This object formed part of the Meymar collection – a collection of Islamic and Middle Eastern objects collected by the Turkish bureaucrat known as Dr Meymar who was based in Cairo in the 1860s.This collection was exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1867, from where the South Kensington Museum (V&A) made a large number of purchases to enhance their growing collection of Islamic art. Together with the collection of Gaston de Saint-Maurice (accessioned in 1884), the Meymar collection was the foundational collection of ‘Saracenic’ art – or the art of the Mamluks (ruled Egypt and Syria 1250-1517) – in this museum. |
| Associations | |
| Summary | These five panels were probably carved in Egypt during the thirteenth century A.D. Wooden objects were luxuries in medieval Egypt; they were carved with intricate patterns and inlaid with materials such as ivory. Such panels were used as part of the architectural décor in the mosques of Egypt. They were used to make richly decorated cenotaphs and minbars (a pulpit in a mosque). This set of panels was carved in Egypt. They were probably made during the period of Ayyubid rule (1171- 1250), when Egypt was ruled by the dynasty of Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub (more commonly known as Saladin the conqueror). They possibly date to the 13th century A.D. These five panels were probably part of a cenotaph or a minbar (pulpit in a mosque). The carving on the panels is similar to that found on another panel owned by the V&A Museum Number 981-1883. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1078-1869 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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