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An intricately carved and…
Sale Title:
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Melbourne
Date:
19-Sep-2023
Lot No.
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Description:
An intricately carved and turned folding three-part screen (mashrabiya) with mother-of-pearl inlay. early-twentieth century, Cairo or Damascus. The term mashrabiya has traditionally been used to describe latticed screens made of finely turned wood used to cover windows in Egypt and elsewhere in North Africa, the Levant, Iran, Iraq and in Malta. Usually made of pine, walnut or beech wood, the decorative structures covered the windows or were used as an architectural element that projected from the upper floor of a building, providing privacy and controlling the light levels and cooling air flow in warm weather. Mashrabiya can also refer, as it does in this case, to a screen used to partition a section of a room. The present example is in fine condition, expertly carved and inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Additional interest comes in the form of the small decorative shelf where a porous jug of water can be placed to assist in the cooling process. Provenance: Purchased in London 1990's; thereafter in a private collection Melbourne. Reference: Jennifer-Navva Milliken, Museum for Art in Wood, ed. The Mashrabiya Project: Ancient Architectures and Contemporary Ideas Across the Islamic World, Stuttgart: Arnoldsche Art Publishers, 2023. Dimensions: 160 cm high, 177 cm wide
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Unclassified