AN EXCEPTIONAL LARGE INLAID WOODEN QURAN CABINET, OTTOMAN, TURKEY,  20TH CENTURY AN EXCEPTIONAL LARGE INLAID WOODEN QURAN CABINET, OTTOMAN, TURKEY,  20TH CENTURY AN EXCEPTIONAL LARGE INLAID WOODEN QURAN CABINET, OTTOMAN, TURKEY,  20TH CENTURY AN EXCEPTIONAL LARGE INLAID WOODEN QURAN CABINET, OTTOMAN, TURKEY,  20TH CENTURY

AN EXCEPTIONAL LARGE INLAID WOODEN QURAN CABINET, OTTOMAN, TURKEY, 20TH CENTURY

Reference: ART3001337

A four sided cabinet with short legs and domed cover. The decoration with wood and bone using the inlay technique.
The side faces of the cabinet’s body are organised into rectangular panels. The interiors of these panels have the same designs as those found in bookbinding compositions of the classical Ottoman period. In the corners of the rectangular panels are bone corner pieces. Cartouches with palmette-shaped lobes are covered. At the centre of each of the panels are medallions, each with a huge boss at its centre and pendants terminating in rosette and palmette motifs; in the upper and lower areas are four six-sided rosettes. The interiors of the six-sided rosettes are decorated with mosaic-inlay of white and painted bone and silver wire. Around the rectangular cartouches are inlays, as well as undulating designs featuring split-palmette motifs.
Around the bottom border of the cover, separated by lobed cartouches, are cartouches on which is carved Quran alfatihuh thuluth-style calligraphy. The surface of the dome is covered with broad plaques, the V-shapes of which make up a zigzag design. The dome comes to a point; its upper section is decorated with bone inset with the reverse side out, a series of palmettes, and six-sided rosettes filled with mosaics. The finial on top has broken off.
The cabinet was prepared in order to house sections of the Quran. It has two interior compartments. The interior of the dome is decorated with medallions made up of compositions of palmette and rumi (split-palmette) motifs painted on a background painted cream with lifazi aljalala.
The inner border of the cover is decorated with palmettes and rumis on light green ground.
50.5 by 50.5 cm. and 81 cm. height.