A Rare Fatimid Double-sided Carved Wooden Screen, Egypt, 11th Century

comprised of eight pierced wooden pieces, decorated with openwork palmettes and carved palmette arabesques bordered by running scrolls, traces of pigment 

Weathering and rubbing across all surfaces, some areas of loss, one openwork panel restored, traces of pigment, as viewed
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Carved woodwork from medieval Egypt is rare on the market. The bulk of extant pieces are in Cairo, either in situ in mosques or Coptic churches, or in the Museum of Islamic Art. Although the published record is substantial, it still represents only a fraction of what was originally produced. Fatimid woodwork is notably scarce.

The low rate of survival of Fatimid carved wood is due in part to the perishable nature of the material, but also to physical occurences such as fire and earthquake, major civil turbulences (the sack of the city by Turkish troops in 1062 being one such instance) and further political upheavals culminating in the disastrous events that accompanied the fall of the dynasty in 1169-71. A high proportion of carved Fatimid woodwork perished with the torching of the great Eastern and Western Palaces and razing of the Shia tombs at the hands of the Ayyubid soldiery, tragically depleting the architectural and artistic legacy of this great dynasty.

The present screen shares stylistic features in common with extant Fatimid material. The palmette motif which repeats at the centre of each panel is documented in other Fatimid panels from the 11th and 12th centuries. For example, the six door panels in the V&A (Contadini, A., Fatimid Art at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1998, pl.51 and 52, pp.111-112), and related door panels in the Benaki Museum, Athens (The Art of Medieval Spain, A.D. 500-1200, New York, 1993, p.78) and the Museum für Islamische Kunst, Berlin (Trésors Fatimides du Caire, Paris, 1998, p.152, no.94), the latter dated to A.D. 1155-56. A related piece sold at Christie's, 20 October 1992, lot 83.