More Oriental Rug Notes by Barry O'Connell

A Rare Syrian or Mamluk Egypt ivory inlaid micro mosaic decorated games board

Country of Origin: Damascus Syria in the Ottoman Empire

Date of Origin Circa A.D.1550

JBOC Comments:

Auction Catalogue Description:

ARTS OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD, INCLUDING 20TH CENTURY MIDDLE EASTERN PAINTINGS
SALE L03220 LOT 47
SESSION 1 | 30 Apr 03 10:30 AM.
London, New Bond Street
A rare ivory-inlaid and micro-mosaic decorated games board
Syria or Egypt, 15th/16th century
20,000—30,000 GBP
Lot Sold. Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: 38,400 GBP

MEASUREMENTS
48.2cm.

DESCRIPTION

composed of two rectangular sections hinged together, on the exterior with a chess board, the interior with a recessed backgammon board, the applied decorated of ivory, wood, metal wire and stained ivory, the interior with a central band of micro-mosaic forming interlocking hexagons and triangles formed by interlacing strapwork in ivory banding, within borders of a chevron pattern and further micro-mosaic stellar motifs, each section with twelve darts terminating in a cinquefoil palmette and enclosed within a patterned arcade, the outer edges with further panels of micro-mosaic and decorative banding, the exterior with squares alternately of light and dark wood enclosed in marquetry banding and an outer border of chevron pattern

The rarity of early micro-mosaic work cannot be overstated. The nature of the work makes it easily susceptible to accidental damage and the vicissitudes of ageing. This games board, for these very reasons, is an extraordinary survivor from this early tradition.

The elaborate decoration allows for comparisons to be drawn with some of the few other extant examples from this group. Two of the most notable pieces of furniture with this decoration are in Cairo, in the Museum for Islamic Art, inv. nos. 449 and 452 (illustrated in Wiet 1930, p.34, and Frankfurt 1985, vol.2, p.322, fig.88, respectively). Both are Qur'an cases and both are originally from the mosque of Sultan Shaban II completed in 1369 A.D. They are also both decorated in a similar style with panels of micro-mosaic, ivory and wood borders and panels of arcades. This establishes a sense of the decorative treatment for such objects in the fourteenth century. Therefore, we can see from this that the basic decorative programme of our games board has, in large part, been set out by this date. Several shared features are worth noting. The most striking is the use of arcading, clearly architectural in its origin and echoing the decorative style used on contemporary Mamluk and early Ottoman structures. Secondly, the design of micro-mosaic panels in all three pieces follows a similar pattern of interlocking hexagons and triangles. The structure of the stellar forms in the micro-mosaic borders is also comparable. One Qur'an box , inv. no.452, has a chevron-like edging which would appear to be the origins of that similar chevron pattern on our games board. A chevron pattern very close to that on our pieces appears on a fourth item from this group, also a games board, thought to be from the Mamluk period (Wapler/Riqlés, 7th June 1999, lot 89).

This games board, then, is a continuation of a style of furniture decoration established by the fourteenth century and probably in continued use through the Mamluk period and into the early years of Ottoman rule in this region.

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Old Main page - SW-Asia.com More Oriental Rug Notes by Barry O'Connell

More Oriental Rug Notes by Barry O'Connell

A Rare Syrian or Mamluk Egypt ivory inlaid micro mosaic decorated games board

A Rare Syrian or Mamluk Egypt ivory inlaid micro mosaic decorated games board