Panel

Unknown

12th century · Wood, bone; carved, inlaid, and painted · Islamic Art

Wood, either carved or inlaid with ivory or with other types of wood, was commonly used as architectural furnishing during the medieval period in Ayyubid Cairo. The design of this piece consists of the scrolling overall pattern known in the West as the arabesque. By general definition the arabesque—a French word originating at the end of the eighteenth century—is a rhythmical arrangement of vine scrolls and foliate forms, often incorporating split leaves; vines emanate from the tips of the leaves, assuring infinite extension of the pattern.

Artist

Unknown

Date

12th century

Medium

Wood, bone; carved, inlaid, and painted

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1924