Pair of Minbar Doors

Unknown

ca. 1325–30 · Wood (rosewood and mulberry); carved and inlaid with carved ivory, ebony, and other woods · Islamic Art

A minbar, or pulpit, consists of a podium reached by stairs with doors such as these at its base. It is used in mosques by imams, prayer leaders, to deliver the sermon at the main service of the week, at noon on Friday. These doors, with the intricate geometric inlay typical of the Mamluk period, are thought to come from the fourteenth‑century mosque of Saif al‑Din Qawsun in Cairo. They were one of the earliest bequests to the Museum, donated by Edward C. Moore, a designer at Tiffany and Co. who was inspired by Islamic art.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1325–30

Medium

Wood (rosewood and mulberry); carved and inlaid with carved ivory, ebony, and other woods

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891