Rectangular wooden ceiling with nine carved panels. Either Egyptian or Spanish 15th century. (Part 12 used to be LOST.840, and was merged with this record in 2020.)

Rectangular wooden ceiling composed of nine recessed panels in Islamic style, joined together with a plain framing which is possibly of a later date. The central panel has a central circular motif surrounded by strapwork patterns in relief. The four corner panels each have sixteen wooden pendants arranged in rows. The remaining four panels each contain two star motifs in relief.

FWK.Lost.838 & 839-2007 were displayed in the 1980s-90s in the Raphael Cartoon Court apse either side of a larger ceiling, 407-1905, but are not part of that ceiling. They were dismantled into individual panels in 2011 for transport to the Dean Hill Store.
LOST.838 was 'broken down into three main parts and eight small parts which come from front and back of the ceiling' (Tony Ryan, Tech services, 26/5/2011). In 2007 the central panel was given a separate LOST number, 840, but this was merged into 838 in January 2020 as part 12.

Possibly Egyptian, but if Spanish, this is the class of 'Mudejar' objects, ie. post-Islamic, made for Christian patrons in the late 15th century and later, who wanted their interiors decorated with Islamic styles. Mariam Rosser-Owen, curator, Middle East section, commented in May 2011: ' Would be great if it was this Cairene ceiling [149-1881] - Anke Scharrahs...had me thinking they were both Spanish, but I don't see why this one (or either of them?) [LOST.838, 839] couldn't be Middle Eastern.'

Museum no. 149-1881 was purchased for the Museum by the Reverend Greville J. Chester, the Archaelogical Institute, 16 New Burlington St, WC. file (MA/1/C1212). No further info than that on the Registered description.

This ceiling could be from a group of woodwork acquired via the Reverend Greville J. Chester of the Archaelogical Institute in 1881. He offered to buy for the Museum specimens from houses being demolished in Egypt, and was given £100 to do so. These are not well described in the registers. Further woodwork from Cairo was acquired in 1883.

This ceiling is either Egyptian or Spanish in the Islamic style, late 15th century.

FWK.LOST.838-2007