{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1298107"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1298107/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HH8593/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HH8593/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014HH8593","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2014HH8594","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KC5467","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KC5468","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KA0398","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KA0942","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1298107/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1298107","accessionNumber":"504A-1883","objectType":"Panel","titles":[{"title":"The Damascus Room","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"The following excerpt is taken from Dorothea Duda.  \"Painted and lacquered woodwork in Arab houses of Damascus and Aleppo\", in Lacquerwork in Asia and Beyond:  Colloquies on Art and Archaeology in Asia No. 11, ed. William Watson (London:  Percival David Foundation, 1981), pp. 247-9:\r\n\r\nThere existed an old tradition of using lacquer for the final treatment of painted wooden surfaces in the Near East.  The lacquer used probably came from the Mediterranean Sandarak cypress (Tetraclinis articulata), a fine scented resin having been exported to Europe by medieval Arab physicians for medical treatment and for burning as incense. \r\n\r\nMore plentifully preserved are the painted and lacquered wooden interiors of the Ottoman period in both Istanbul and in Anatolia, in mosques, private houses and palaces.  This style of decoration was transmitted from Istanbul to the whole of the Balkans and to the Maghrib.  \r\n\r\nIn Damascus and Aleppo alike, all houses had flat roofs.  Also in Damascus the ‘ataba (threshold) room rose above the roofs and received light from up there by rows of windows on all four sides.  The houses had two floors, but the main liwans (halls) rose through both floors.  So these rooms offered agreeable dimensions, and cooler ventilation in the summer.  Marble panelling, relief ornamentation, mosaics, tiles and manifold patterns by incrustations of coloured pastes of plaster gave a serene and gay aspect to these old town houses, especially in Damascus. Again and again, from the 17th to the 19th centuries, European travellers were charmed by the delightful Aleppine and Damascene houses and enthusiastically described them in their reports.  The inhabitants of these palaces were the pashas or governors of the Ottoman administration with their families, Syrian landowners, the gentry, and wealthy Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Armenian merchants. \r\n","physicalDescription":"Rectangular shaped panel made of carved wood, painted entirely on one side with a vertical composition consisting of three polylobed medallions and cartouches filled with Arabic inscriptions and floral sprays, set against a dense background of green, red and gold flowers.  ","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved wood and painted; lacquered","categories":[{"text":"Woodwork","id":"THES48877"},{"text":"Architecture","id":"THES48993"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MES","id":"THES48607"},"images":["2014HH8593","2014HH8594","2017KC5467","2017KC5468","2017KA0398","2017KA0942"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"A","id":"THES304376"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Panel from a Damascus room","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Syria","id":"x29200"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Damascus","id":"x32596"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1785-88","earliest":"1785-01-01","latest":"1788-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"504:1-1883","id":"O41776"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"504B-1883","id":"O1298104"},"association":"Set"}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"224","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"38","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measured MRO July 2014","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"V&amp;A Archival Record (26145/1883): \"Room from Damascus.  The internal panelling of the sides, with alcoves or recesses, and also the ceiling, together with glazed and latticed windows. Put together and exhibited in the Persian Court.  Arab art. 18th century.  Purchased from Monsieur Henri Veragneux for £500 in 1883.\"\r\n\r\nOriginally part of the Damascus Room (411-1880)","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Damascus room. Painted wooden panel with three polylobed medallions with Arabic inscriptions and flowers, Syria, Ottoman period, 1785-88","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Duda, Dorothea.  \"Painted and lacquered woodwork in Arab houses of Damascus and Aleppo\", in Lacquerwork in Asia and Beyond:  Colloquies on Art and Archaeology in Asia No. 11, ed. William Watson (London:  Percival David Foundation, 1981)"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Annie-Christine Daskalakis, <i>Damascus 18th and 19th century houses in the Ablaq-'Ajami style of decoration: local and international significance</i> (PhD Thesis, New York University, Graduate School of Arts and Science, 2004): vol. 1, pp. 269-271; vol. 2: pp. 537-8; plates 4.17, 4.18, 4.19"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Julia Gonnella and Jens Kröger (eds.), <i>Angels, peonies, and fabulous creatures: The Aleppo Room in Berlin</i>. International symposium of the Museum für Islamische Kunst - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin 12-14 April 2002 (Münster : Rhema, 2008)"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["504A-1883"],"accessionNumberNum":"504","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1883,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2014-08-06","availableToBook":true}}