Rahle
1750-1800 (made)
| Place of origin |
By the second half of the sixteenth century, Ottoman woodworkers had begun to employ inlays of mother of pearl and tortoiseshell, two technically difficult to work materials. This technique reached a very high standard under the Ottoman Turks after a court workshop was founded that specialised in mother of pearl inlay. New patterns were devised, and a combination of bone, mother of pearl and wood was used to inlay objects such as Quran stands, door, and boxes.
This technique spread from Istanbul to Syria sometime during the late sixteenth century, after the Ottomans conquered Syria in 1516. Several artistic industries, including ceramics, were produced in Syria yet under the stylistic influence of the Ottoman court. These arts continued to be produced well into the twentieth century, until the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in 1922.
This technique spread from Istanbul to Syria sometime during the late sixteenth century, after the Ottomans conquered Syria in 1516. Several artistic industries, including ceramics, were produced in Syria yet under the stylistic influence of the Ottoman court. These arts continued to be produced well into the twentieth century, until the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in 1922.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Wood inlaid with bone, mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell. |
| Brief description | Folding Quran stand with wood, mother-of-pearl, bone and tortoiseshell decoration, Syria, Damascus, Ottoman period, 1750-1800 |
| Physical description | Qur'an stand composed of two leaves hinged together, each rectangular above and shaped below into a foliated arch, decorated on both leaves with a fine squares of alternating mother of pearl and tortoiseshell inlay, and fine bands of bone and wood along the outer most edges. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | 2015 Damascus Room Display
Nr. 17: Book stand
Syria, 1800-80
Wood inlaid with bone, mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell.
Museum no. 411E-1880(2015) |
| Object history | V&A Archival states: Koran stand. From Damascus: dated 1756. From a room from Damascus. Folding wood stand inlaid with mother-of-pearl, tortoiseshell and ivory. Bought £850. |
| Association | |
| Summary | By the second half of the sixteenth century, Ottoman woodworkers had begun to employ inlays of mother of pearl and tortoiseshell, two technically difficult to work materials. This technique reached a very high standard under the Ottoman Turks after a court workshop was founded that specialised in mother of pearl inlay. New patterns were devised, and a combination of bone, mother of pearl and wood was used to inlay objects such as Quran stands, door, and boxes. This technique spread from Istanbul to Syria sometime during the late sixteenth century, after the Ottomans conquered Syria in 1516. Several artistic industries, including ceramics, were produced in Syria yet under the stylistic influence of the Ottoman court. These arts continued to be produced well into the twentieth century, until the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in 1922. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 411E-1880 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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