Mosque Lamp
ca. 1468-1496 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This enormous hanging lamp holder was originally made for the Mamluk sultan Qa'itbay (1468-96). The central medallions carry blazons that read, ‘Glory be to our master the Sultan al-Malik al-Ashraf Abu'l-Nasr Qa'itbay, may his victories be glorious’. Except for their size, the two inscriptions in inlaid silver in the upper and lower bands are identical. They read:
Glory to our lord the Sultan, the most noble ruler, sultan of Islam and the Muslims, reviver of justice in the world, suppressor of the immoral and rebellious, sultan of the Arabs and Persians, lord of the two seas, servant of the Two Holy Shrines, master of kings and sultans, Commander of the Faithful, Abu'l-Nasr Qa'itbay, may God Almighty make his reign long!
These triumphs of the calligrapher's and metalworker's art would have been invisible when the light was shining from inside the holder. But we can still appreciate the skill required to create them.
This lamp holder is very similar to one now in the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo.
Glory to our lord the Sultan, the most noble ruler, sultan of Islam and the Muslims, reviver of justice in the world, suppressor of the immoral and rebellious, sultan of the Arabs and Persians, lord of the two seas, servant of the Two Holy Shrines, master of kings and sultans, Commander of the Faithful, Abu'l-Nasr Qa'itbay, may God Almighty make his reign long!
These triumphs of the calligrapher's and metalworker's art would have been invisible when the light was shining from inside the holder. But we can still appreciate the skill required to create them.
This lamp holder is very similar to one now in the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Brass, pierced, inlaid and engraved |
| Brief description | Hexagonal brass lamp-holder made for the Mamluk sultan Qa'itbay, Egypt (probably Cairo), 1468-1496. |
| Physical description | Hexagonal brass mosque lamp, tapering upwards and surmounted by a dome with a suspension hook in the form of a dragon. The sides of the lamp are pierced and engraved, and decorated with silver and gold inlay. Borders of Quranic inscriptions are at top and bottom of each side, and a large medallion at the centre bears the blazon of the Mamluk Sultan Qayit Bay (1468-1496). One side is open as the original door for accessing the candle is missing. It is almost identical to a lamp now in the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, from the Mosque of Asal Bay (the wife of Qa'it Bay), also in Cairo. See The Arts of Islam. Exhibition held at the Hayward Gallery, 8 April-4 July 1976 (London : The Arts Council of Great Britain, 1976): cat.no.227, p.196. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
|
| Gallery label |
|
| Production | Made for a mosque in Cairo built by the Mamluk Sultan Qa'itbay (r. 1468-1496). |
| Summary | This enormous hanging lamp holder was originally made for the Mamluk sultan Qa'itbay (1468-96). The central medallions carry blazons that read, ‘Glory be to our master the Sultan al-Malik al-Ashraf Abu'l-Nasr Qa'itbay, may his victories be glorious’. Except for their size, the two inscriptions in inlaid silver in the upper and lower bands are identical. They read: Glory to our lord the Sultan, the most noble ruler, sultan of Islam and the Muslims, reviver of justice in the world, suppressor of the immoral and rebellious, sultan of the Arabs and Persians, lord of the two seas, servant of the Two Holy Shrines, master of kings and sultans, Commander of the Faithful, Abu'l-Nasr Qa'itbay, may God Almighty make his reign long! These triumphs of the calligrapher's and metalworker's art would have been invisible when the light was shining from inside the holder. But we can still appreciate the skill required to create them. This lamp holder is very similar to one now in the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo. |
| Bibliographic references |
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 109-1888 |
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
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | April 3, 2003 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
