Museum of Islamic Art - photos
Photos and information of a selection of exhibits shown at the Museum of Islamic Art, located in the Pergamon Museum on the Berlin Museum Island.
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Mid-13th century, Seljuks of Rum (Turkey)
Carved by ʿAbd al-Wahid bin Sulaiman
walnut wood
Height 97 cm (folded 107 cm)
width 50 cm, depth 51,5 cm (folded 20 cm)
The folding desk, consisting of two interlocked wooden panels, is characterized as a Quran desk by the impressive relief writing on the outside of the bookends. The belief formula "The rule is with God" gains an enormous power of persuasion through the monumental writing. This type of calligraphy with artfully interlaced long letters is called a woven kufi. In the border bands, the throne verse from the Quran runs (Sura 2, verse 255). The sides and base of the desk are covered with vines that protrude plastically.
Such a large desk served as a support for a magnificent Quran. A special feature is the signature placed on the hinges, which identifies the folding desk as the work of the carver ʿAbd al-Wahid bin Sulaiman.
Two comparable Quran consoles show that such precious and pious endowments played a major role among the Rumseljuks, who ruled Anatolia between 1071 and 1307.
(Text: SMB-digital, online collections database. Transl.: UiU)
© Photos: Haupt & Binder
Photos and information of a selection of exhibits shown at the Museum of Islamic Art, located in the Pergamon Museum on the Berlin Museum Island.