Minneapolis Institute of Art

Door Panel

Egypt

Date

14th century

Medium

Wood and ivory

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Mamluk artisans in Cairo were excellent woodworkers whose creations included window grilles, cupboards, doors, and furniture for both secular and religious buildings. These panels most likely served as doors within the spectacular decorative screens that partitioned spaces inside the standard Mamluk mosque. Islamic craftsmen devised geometric compositions in wood, ivory, stone, and tile. These panels are composed of three major zones evolving from an eight-pointed star. Symmetrically arranged polygons of ivory inlay enrich each of these stars, and the theme recurs in each of the zones. Typical of Islamic architecture in general, the entire effect, though highly decorative, retains a sense of geometric logic and order. Egypt, Africa

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