{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O370590"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O370590/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017KC1957/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017KC1957/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2017KC1957","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2016JE9071","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KC1955","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KC1956","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O370590/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O370590","accessionNumber":"W.96-1921","objectType":"Panel ","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Animal motifs such as this are often associated with objects produced during the Fatimid period in north Africa and Sicily (969-1171). \r\n\r\nThe Fatimid’s witnessed a great flourishing of wood carving, with surviving pieces associated with architecture, being friezes, door panels and surface panels and beams, many of which are currently preserved in situ within Coptic churches, mosques and secular buildings in Cairo.  While surviving pieces of Islamic woodwork date back to the seventh century, Fatimid examples demonstrate a complex and wide iconographic repertoire of designs, motifs, and figures, building upon previous Abbasid, Coptic and Tulunid styles while exploiting floriated intersections, overlapping fields, and interlace patterns.  The rich and layered carvings created by Fatimid wood carvers warranted considerable appreciation, causing pieces to be salvaged and re-utilised in later Ayyubid and Mamluk construction.  Today, much Fatimid woodwork survives within the construct of later buildings or furnishings.   \r\n\r\nDespite wood having existing in abundance in Egypt, much wood during the Fatimid period was believed to have been imported.  While the Fatimids supposedly controlled the exploitation of acacia in Upper Egypt, Fatimid woodwork exists in a variety of woods including pine, acacia, cypress, ebony and teak, these reflecting both indigenous as well as imported species.  The cost of both importing the wood along with the fine craftsmanship employed, suggests that these panels were a part of a luxury market. \r\n\r\nThis particular panel would have fit into a larger composition, most probably surrounded by other carved pieces.  This is suggested by the perforated edge outlining the fragment, which would have slid into a supporting frame or structure.  This panel was most likely used to decorate a door, perhaps of a cabinet or other small object.  \r\n","physicalDescription":"Trapazoide shaped panel carved in deep relief with a lion walking in profile beneath a deer or gazelle walking in the opposite direction, both surrounded by vegetal elements.  ","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved wood","categories":[{"text":"Woodwork","id":"THES48877"},{"text":"Africa","id":"THES49019"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MES","id":"THES48607"},"images":["2017KC1957","2016JE9071","2017KC1955","2017KC1956"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES367218"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Plaque","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Egypt","id":"x29512"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Sicily","id":"x29142"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"possibly"},{"place":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1000-1250","earliest":"1000-01-01","latest":"1250-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"12.5 ","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Length","value":"8.8 ","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Small trapezium shaped wooden panel with carved animals, Egypt or Sicily, Fatimd period, 1000-1250","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bernard O’Kane, ed. The Treasures of Islamic Art in the Museum of Cairo (The American University of Cairo Press: Cairo & New York, 2006)"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Anna Contadini. Fatimid Art at the Victoria and Albert Museum ( London:V&A Publishing, 1998)  pp. 111-112"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"L.A. Mayer. Islamic Woodcarvers and their Works (Geneva: Albert Kundig, 1958), pp. 14-16"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["W.96-1921"],"accessionNumberNum":"96","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":1921,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-11","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}