{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O49625"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O49625/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM3348/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AM3348/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AM3348","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KD2128","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KD2129","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KD2130","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O49625/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O49625","accessionNumber":"887-1884","objectType":"Door","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This door panel represents a composite in which late Mamluk and early Ottoman panels and plaques were re purposed within 19th century frames, a composition most likely done by a European residing in Cairo at the time.  The salvaging of older Mamluk wood and ivory panels and their re purposing within later architectural structures was a common trend in Egypt during the time of the French influence, starting under Napoleon III yet continuing in increasing numbers towards the end of the 19th century.  The French were particularly interested in re purposing architectural elements (panels, doors and plaques) – some taken directly from minbars (Islamic pulpits) and others from architectural decorations in mosques and madrasas – to serve as decorative fittings within their Neo-Mamluk homes built in central Cairo.  Doors such as these were common during the second half of the 19th century, especially at a time when much of old historic Cairo was being transformed and modernised.  This, coupled with the increasing trend for Islamic designs, motivated European residents in Cairo to utilize such pieces within their newly designed homes.  \n\nWhen entire structures could not be re purposed (such as minbar doors), a selection of diverse panels would have been used, with ‘newer’ plaques made to fill in the missing pieces within the geometric composition.  As such, composite panels present a combination of styles, techniques and dates, some of which are today difficult to decipher, as the craftsmanship of late 19th century carvers cleverly (and quite convincingly) imitated their earlier Mamluk masters.  Indeed, this particular door panel has both Mamluk and later 19th century additions, even though its wooden frame is indisputably of the 19th century. \r\n\r\n","physicalDescription":"This door is a composite of different wooden and ivory carved panels assembled into a 19th century door frame.  The panels represent a combination of carving techniques and styles, including ivory and ebony plaques decorated with a foliated scrollwork motif, set within a thin band of ivory or bone inlay; smaller panels display fine marquetry designs decorated with alternating bone and ebony inlay, a decoration that also appears along the edges of the larger star shaped carved ivory panels. At the top and bottom of the door is a rectangular panel containing an Arabic inscription set within a marquetry zig-zag boarder.  The frame and support both date to the second half of the 19th century.\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28674"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"wood","id":"AAT11914"},{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"},{"text":"ebony","id":"AAT12055"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved ivory and ebony plaques inlaid into modern wooden frame\r\n\r\n","categories":[{"text":"Woodwork","id":"THES48877"},{"text":"Africa","id":"THES49019"},{"text":"Islam","id":"THES48932"}],"styles":[{"text":"Mamluk","id":"AAT21601"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"MES","id":"THES48607"},"images":["2006AM3348","2017KD2128","2017KD2129","2017KD2130"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"A","id":"THES304292"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Door","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Egypt","id":"x29512"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Cairo","id":"x28776"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Africa","id":"x29327"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1480 – 1520","earliest":"1480-01-01","latest":"1520-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"1860-1878","earliest":"1860-01-01","latest":"1878-12-31"},"association":{"text":"restored","id":"AAT53742"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"202.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"44","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"4.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Bought from the collection of Gaston de Saint-Maurice (1831-1905) in 1884. Saint-Maurice displayed his extensive art collection at the 1878 Paris exhibition, in a gallery entitled L'Egypte des Khalifes. This was part of an official sequence of displays celebrating the history of Egypt, presented by the Egyptian state at this international event. Saint-Maurice held a position at the Khedival court, and had lived in Cairo in 1868-1878. Following the exhibition, Saint-Maurice offered his collection for sale to the South Kensington Museum (today the V&A); another panel also from the collection of Saint-Maurice is now in the National Museums of Scotland, inv.no.A.1884.2.2.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Wooden door comprised of late Mamluk and Ottoman period carved ivory and ebony plaques set into a 19th century frame, Egypt, 1480-1520 and 1860-1878 ","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Mercedes Volait, Maisons de France au Caire: Le remploi de grands decors mamelouks et ottomans dans une architecture moderne (2012)"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[{"text":"Cairo","id":"x28776"}],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Gaston de Saint-Maurice","id":"C4450"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[{"text":"Paris International Exhibition, 1878","id":"V165"}],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["887-1884"],"accessionNumberNum":"887","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1884,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-10","recordCreationDate":"2000-11-27","availableToBook":true}}