Arts of the Islamic World
Arts of the Islamic World
AN OTTOMAN JADE AND GEM-SET BOX, POSSIBLY FOR A QUR'AN, TURKEY, 17TH CENTURY
Auction Closed
October 23, 04:16 PM GMT
Estimate
15,000 - 25,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
AN OTTOMAN JADE AND GEM-SET BOX, POSSIBLY FOR A QUR'AN, TURKEY, 17TH CENTURY
the silver gilt body engraved with foliate tendrils and set with semi-precious stones, hinged with mounted jade lid set with petalled gem-set plaques and silver-gilt scrolling tendrils, motif of lion and sun set in centre, velvet-set interior, underside engraved and punched with interlacing scrolling tendrils
4.1 by 8.5 by 8cm.
Ex-collection Ambassador and Mrs. Alexander Weddell, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A.
Deaccessioned by The Virginia House Museum to benefit future preservation, acquisitions, and care of collections.
The ornate ‘Lion and Sun’ (Shir o Khorshid) is the royal symbol of the Persian Empire which could indicate that the box was sent to, or received from, Iran as a diplomatic gift. Gem-studded courtly sancak Qur’ans and cases such as this were circulated among Ottoman elites as gifts or presentation pieces. For a full discussion of a similar Ottoman jewel-studded case for a miniature Qur’an, see Sheila Blair, Islamic Calligraphy, Edinburgh University Press, 2006, pp.482-3. For a similarly decorated sancak Qur’an box see Emine Bilirgen et al, Topkapi Palace: The Imperial Treasury, Istanbul, 2001, pp.112-3.