Publication Date
693 - 741 /1294 - 1340
Publication Place
-
Islamic Museum, Al-Haram Al-Sharif
Subject
Copper decorated with engraving and inlaid with silver.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع: 43.4 سم؛ القطر: 29 سم؛ ارتفاع الرقبة: 18.5 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
أ/ ن/5
Record ID
object;ISL;pa;Mus01;18;ar
Library Location
Islamic Museum, Al-Haram Al-Sharif
Date
693 - 741 /1294 - 1340
Notes
The piece is a candlestick consisting of a cylindrical base and body, and a cylindrical neck with a small diameter compared to the diameter of the base and body. Three decorative strands wrap around the base of the candlestick on top of each other. Each one is separated from the next by lines that also wrap around the base. As for the body of the candlestick, it is completely covered with decorations, and it includes a large inscription in the Mamluk Naskh script. The inscription extends from the bottom of the body to the top and reads, “The high headquarters of the Maliki world, Al-Adili Al-Nasiri.” The background of the writing was filled with dense floral decorations that occupied the entire body. On the body of the candlestick there are two baskets (medallions), each consisting of three circles: the inner one is very small and has a fan-shaped decoration, the middle one contains floral decorations within twisted lines that may be a lotus flower, and the outer one is large and also contains floral decorations made up of intertwined flowers and leaflets. Two decorative bands wrap around the back (tray) of the candlestick. There is an inscription wrapped around the back of the candlestick, written in the Mamluk Naskh script, which reads: “The high headquarters of Mawlawi al-Maliki, al-Ghazi, the international Mujahideen, al-Ghayathi al-Nasiri.” This text is interrupted by two baskets, each of which contains a drawing of a bird, most likely a dove or a partridge. The two birds are facing each other. The background of the text was filled with a group of leaves and flowers. As for the neck of the candlestick, it is clear that it is not original, but rather a replacement neck that replaced the original, which may have been damaged due to use. This alternative neck indicates a clear weakness in craftsmanship. It is worth noting that the travelers who visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, and the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron mentioned in their descriptions of these places that they contained a large number of lamps and candlesticks. Only a few of these pieces have reached us, and they are displayed in the Islamic Museum in Jerusalem.
Sample Text
Nazmi Al-Ju'beh "Candlestick of Al-Nasir Muhammad Ibn Qalawun" in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;pa;Mus01;18;ar
