30http://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullSilver-Inlaid Betel Box with Scroll Motifs19th - 20th centuryCopper alloy, silverThe silver-inlaid scroll designs seen on this betel box are commonly found on both wood and metal in the predominantly Muslim region of Mindanao, in the highlands of the southern Philippines. The motif repeats in the box’s interior that houses the four ingredients of betel chew (a combination of areca nut, fresh pepper leaves, lime powder, and damp tobacco leaves). This piece would be used in special presentations for honored visitors. This box represents the intersection of shared faith with local tradition, emphasizing the importance of secular (non-religious) artworks as key aspects of all Islamic art collections. It is also emblematic of the geographic and cultural diversity of the people of the Islamic world and the significance of the greater Asia-Pacific region to the global community of Muslims. Metalworkhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/4073/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullEtched-Glass Hanging Lamp with Quranic Inscriptions19th centuryGlass, black compound, gildingThe religion of Islam was founded in the seventh century when the Prophet Muhammad received revelations from Allah (God). The recording of these revelations in Arabic became the Qur’an, the sacred text for Muslims. With its flowing shapes, the Arabic alphabet lends itself superbly to artistic design. Letters may be shaped in ways to create dynamic compositions that stir the eye, regardless of the viewer’s ability to read the text. Lamps such as this were often placed in mosques, palaces, or shrines as donations from the faithful. The iconic shape remained unchanged for centuries, and the lamp on display echoes earlier artworks and represents the centrality of Islamic faith across the cultures represented in the collection.Glasshttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/4457/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullEmbroidered (Rasht-i douzi) Table Cover19th - 20th centuryWool, silkThis elaborately embroidered wool and silk textile boasts geometric and vegetal motifs with clear links to Persian as well as Chinese iconography. The intricate patterning and high quality of needlework assure us that this cloth - although in form certainly possibly used as a tablecloth topper - was a highly prized artwork only for special occasions. Thick, felted or quilted table toppers helped to keep in the heat generated by charcoal-fed braziers kept under the table. A longer “underskirt” would have lain underneath the topper. Textileshttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/3782/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullEmbroidered (Rasht-i douzi) Saddle Blanket19th - 20th centuryWool, silkThis elaborately embroidered wool and silk textile boasts geometric and vegetal motifs with clear links to Persian manuscript illumination, as well as South Asian iconography (note the boteh, or paisley, motifs along the edge). Functional as a saddle blanket underneath an elaborately worked leather saddle, this intricate, fringed textile would certainly have been a luxurious item of showmanship for a well-off rider displaying both a flash of color - although the intricate embroidery would have been a personal pleasure, seen only by the rider and the groom. Textileshttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/7287/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullPlaster and Polychrome Glass Windows with Architectural and Vegetal Motifs1937Plaster, colored glassThese arched windows of brightly colored glass are known as chemmassiat, a term derived from the Arabic word for “sun.” This type of window is created from brightly colored glass set into patterns within a gypsum frame. Not only decorative, the colorful glass absorbs the rays of the sun to protect the interior from the heat of the day. The windows are arranged in a pattern of alternating floral and geometric designs. These windows, along with other architectural features and furnishings of Shangri La, were created in the 1930s by contemporary Moroccan craftsmen under the supervision of a French firm in Rabat, S.A.L.A.M. René Martin. The windows are based on designs recorded in a two-volume publication by a French administrator in Morocco Jean Galloti, Le Jardin et la Maison Arabes au Maroc (“The Arab Garden and House in Morocco”). This publication illustrated chemmassiat in madrasas in Fez, Marrakech, and Salé. During the first half of the twentieth century, Morocco was experiencing a revival of traditional art under the strict administration of the French colonial rule, which saw the restoration of traditional arts as both an economic opportunity and a means of legitimizing their authority. Museums and schools were established in order to reinforce what was perceived as an authentic aesthetic. While the commission of Moroccan furnishings at Shangri La took place within this context, the close collaboration between the patron, designers, architects, and craftsmen deviated from the typical aesthetic illustrated in Gallotti’s book and enforced by the French colonial administration in Morocco. Glasshttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/3568/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullPlaster and Polychrome Glass Window with Floral Vase Motif19th centuryPlaster, colored glassThis ornate stained glass window, called a qamariyya in Arabic, was created in either Syria, Egypt or Turkey under Ottoman rule. Its design depicts a vase overflowing with blue tulips, red carnations, and yellow peonies. The vase sits within an arched niche lined with two smaller vases and other botanical designs. Qamariyya were created by artisans who shaped the crystal glass with diamond and affixed the colorful pieces into a frame of gypsum plaster. This window was installed at Shangri La in 1938 and was the basis of the design for the house’s eight other windows of this style, which were installed overlooking the foyer and central courtyard.Glasshttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/5303/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullPlaster and Polychrome Glass Window with Floral Vase Motif19th centuryColored glass, plasterThis ornate stained glass window, called a qamariyya in Arabic, was created in either Syria, Egypt or Turkey under Ottoman rule. Its design depicts a vase overflowing with blue tulips, red carnations, and yellow peonies. The vase sits within an arched niche lined with two smaller vases and other botanical designs. Qamariyya were created by artisans who shaped the crystal glass with diamond and affixed the colorful pieces into a frame of gypsum plaster. This window was installed at Shangri La in 1938 and was the basis of the design for the house’s eight other windows of this style, which were installed overlooking the foyer and central courtyard.Glasshttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/3567/rdfPolychrome Iznik Tile Panel with Cloud Bands and Floral Motifs17th-19th centuryStonepaste, underglaze-paintedCeramicshttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/6539/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullPolychrome Iznik Tile Panel with Cloud Bands and Floral Motifs17th centuryStonepaste, polychrome pigmentsThe walls of the foyer are covered in about 185 painted ceramic tiles adorned with red and blue flowering plants and turquoise cloudband motifs against a white ground. Swirling stems end in feather-like saz leaves with serrated edges. This composition is lined with a border of elongated tulips weaving around other flowers and cartouches filled with floral motifs. Iznik ceramics originated in the town of Iznik in present day Turkey in the late 1400s. Potters of Iznik produced white, stonepaste vessels painted with designs in sage green, cobalt blue, turquoise, and manganese purple under a glossy, transparent glaze. In the mid-1500s, the Ottoman emperor, Suleyman the Magnificent (r.1520 to 1566), commissioned prominent buildings clad in colorful Iznik tile. A bright tomato red was added to the Iznik palette to make the designs more vibrant when viewed from afar. This bold red color, a slip made from iron-rich clay called Armenian bole, was eventually applied to Iznik vessels (examples are on display in the Ottoman Gallery: 48.24 and 48.25). During the 1500s, a realistic floral style — of tulips, hyacinths, carnations, and other flowers — developed, appearing on every form of Ottoman art, from ceramics to textiles.Ceramicshttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/5296/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullPolychrome Iznik Tile Panel with Cloud Bands and Floral Motifs17th centuryStonepaste, polychrome pigmentsThe walls of the foyer are covered in about 185 painted ceramic tiles adorned with red and blue flowering plants and turquoise cloudband motifs against a white ground. Swirling stems end in feather-like saz leaves with serrated edges. This composition is lined with a border of elongated tulips weaving around other flowers and cartouches filled with floral motifs. Iznik ceramics originated in the town of Iznik in present day Turkey in the late 1400s. Potters of Iznik produced white, stonepaste vessels painted with designs in sage green, cobalt blue, turquoise, and manganese purple under a glossy, transparent glaze. In the mid-1500s, the Ottoman emperor, Suleyman the Magnificent (r.1520 to 1566), commissioned prominent buildings clad in colorful Iznik tile. A bright tomato red was added to the Iznik palette to make the designs more vibrant when viewed from afar. This bold red color, a slip made from iron-rich clay called Armenian bole, was eventually applied to Iznik vessels (examples are on display in the Ottoman Gallery: 48.24 and 48.25). During the 1500s, a realistic floral style — of tulips, hyacinths, carnations, and other flowers — developed, appearing on every form of Ottoman art, from ceramics to textiles.Ceramicshttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/5297/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullPolychrome Iznik Tile Panel with Cloud Bands and Floral Motifs17th centuryStonepaste, polychrome pigmentsThe walls of the foyer are covered in about 185 painted ceramic tiles adorned with red and blue flowering plants and turquoise cloudband motifs against a white ground. Swirling stems end in feather-like saz leaves with serrated edges. This composition is lined with a border of elongated tulips weaving around other flowers and cartouches filled with floral motifs. Iznik ceramics originated in the town of Iznik in present day Turkey in the late 1400s. Potters of Iznik produced white, stonepaste vessels painted with designs in sage green, cobalt blue, turquoise, and manganese purple under a glossy, transparent glaze. In the mid-1500s, the Ottoman emperor, Suleyman the Magnificent (r.1520 to 1566), commissioned prominent buildings clad in colorful Iznik tile. A bright tomato red was added to the Iznik palette to make the designs more vibrant when viewed from afar. This bold red color, a slip made from iron-rich clay called Armenian bole, was eventually applied to Iznik vessels (examples are on display in the Ottoman Gallery: 48.24 and 48.25). During the 1500s, a realistic floral style — of tulips, hyacinths, carnations, and other flowers — developed, appearing on every form of Ottoman art, from ceramics to textiles.Ceramicshttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/5294/rdfPolychrome Iznik Tile Panel with Cloud Bands and Floral Motifs17th centuryStonepaste, polychrome pigmentsThe walls of the foyer are covered in about 185 painted ceramic tiles adorned with red and blue flowering plants and turquoise cloudband motifs against a white ground. Swirling stems end in feather-like saz leaves with serrated edges. This composition is lined with a border of elongated tulips weaving around other flowers and cartouches filled with floral motifs. Iznik ceramics originated in the town of Iznik in present day Turkey in the late 1400s. Potters of Iznik produced white, stonepaste vessels painted with designs in sage green, cobalt blue, turquoise, and manganese purple under a glossy, transparent glaze. In the mid-1500s, the Ottoman emperor, Suleyman the Magnificent (r.1520 to 1566), commissioned prominent buildings clad in colorful Iznik tile. A bright tomato red was added to the Iznik palette to make the designs more vibrant when viewed from afar. This bold red color, a slip made from iron-rich clay called Armenian bole, was eventually applied to Iznik vessels (examples are on display in the Ottoman Gallery: 48.24 and 48.25). During the 1500s, a realistic floral style — of tulips, hyacinths, carnations, and other flowers — developed, appearing on every form of Ottoman art, from ceramics to textiles.Ceramicshttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/5293/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullPolychrome Iznik Tile Panel with Cloud Bands and Floral Motifs17th centuryStonepaste, polychrome pigmentsThe walls of the foyer are covered in about 185 painted ceramic tiles adorned with red and blue flowering plants and turquoise cloudband motifs against a white ground. Swirling stems end in feather-like saz leaves with serrated edges. This composition is lined with a border of elongated tulips weaving around other flowers and cartouches filled with floral motifs. Iznik ceramics originated in the town of Iznik in present day Turkey in the late 1400s. Potters of Iznik produced white, stonepaste vessels painted with designs in sage green, cobalt blue, turquoise, and manganese purple under a glossy, transparent glaze. In the mid-1500s, the Ottoman emperor, Suleyman the Magnificent (r.1520 to 1566), commissioned prominent buildings clad in colorful Iznik tile. A bright tomato red was added to the Iznik palette to make the designs more vibrant when viewed from afar. This bold red color, a slip made from iron-rich clay called Armenian bole, was eventually applied to Iznik vessels (examples are on display in the Ottoman Gallery: 48.24 and 48.25). During the 1500s, a realistic floral style — of tulips, hyacinths, carnations, and other flowers — developed, appearing on every form of Ottoman art, from ceramics to textiles.Ceramicshttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/3565/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullPolychrome Iznik Tile Border with Floral Motifs17th centuryStonepaste, polychrome pigmentsCeramicshttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/5301/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullPolychrome Iznik Tile Border with Floral Motifs17th centuryStonepaste, polychrome pigmentsCeramicshttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/5302/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullPolychrome Iznik Tile Border with Floral Motifs17th centuryStonepaste, polychrome pigmentsCeramicshttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/3566/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullColumnar Floor Lamp with Pierced Floral Motifs19th-20th centuryCopper alloy, silverThis copper floor lamp (one of a pair) is pierced throughout in floral patterns. It was most likely created in the 1900s in Egypt or Syria when the artistic style of the Mamluk dynasty (1250–1517) reemerged in art and architecture. “Mamluk Revival” style was inspired, in part, by a growing demand from European and American museums, collectors, and tourists. During this period, Western Islamic art enthusiasts, including French engineer Baron Alphonse Delort de Gléon and French aristocrat Count Gaston de Saint Maurice, commissioned grand mansions that recreated and reincorporated elements of medieval Islamic architecture as fitting backdrops to display their collections.Metalworkhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/5287/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullColumnar Floor Lamp with Pierced Floral Motifs19th centuryCopper alloy, silverThis copper floor lamp (one of a pair) is pierced throughout in floral patterns. It was most likely created in the 1900s in Egypt or Syria when the artistic style of the Mamluk dynasty (1250–1517) reemerged in art and architecture. “Mamluk Revival” style was inspired, in part, by a growing demand from European and American museums, collectors, and tourists. During this period, Western Islamic art enthusiasts, including French engineer Baron Alphonse Delort de Gléon and French aristocrat Count Gaston de Saint Maurice, commissioned grand mansions that recreated and reincorporated elements of medieval Islamic architecture as fitting backdrops to display their collections.Metalworkhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/3562/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullHanging Ceiling Lamp with Arabesque Motifs19th-20th centuryCopper alloyThis pierced copper lamp (one of four) is in the shape of a shallow basin pierced with tiny perforations forming geometric designs. The lamp is suspended by four ornate chains. The bottom of the lamp is pierced with a circular rosebud [?] design. A large inscription band encircles the body of the lamp, in praise of the Mamluk ruler, an-Nāṣir Muḥammad ibn Qalāwun who ruled Egypt in three reigns during the late 1200s and 1300s: “Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir, helper to God’s religion and assister of the world always.” These lamps were not created during the reign of an-Nasir Muhammad, but rather during in the nineteenth and twentieth century when the style of the Mamluk period (1250–1517) reemerged, in part, due to a growing demand from European and American museums, collectors, and tourists. Artisans in Syria and Egypt met the demand, producing an array of objects in the “Mamluk revival” style, such as lamps, basins, and kursi (Qur’an stands). Some Mamluk revival objects produced in Cairo in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are direct copies of original objects held by the Museum of Islamic art in Cairo.Metalworkhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/3570/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullHanging Ceiling Lamp with Arabesque Motifs19th-20th centuryCopper alloyThis pierced copper lamp (one of four) is in the shape of a shallow basin pierced with tiny perforations forming geometric designs. The lamp is suspended by four ornate chains. The bottom of the lamp is pierced with a circular rosebud [?] design. A large inscription band encircles the body of the lamp, in praise of the Mamluk ruler, an-Nāṣir Muḥammad ibn Qalāwun who ruled Egypt in three reigns during the late 1200s and 1300s: “Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir, helper to God’s religion and assister of the world always.” These lamps were not created during the reign of an-Nasir Muhammad, but rather during in the nineteenth and twentieth century when the style of the Mamluk period (1250–1517) reemerged, in part, due to a growing demand from European and American museums, collectors, and tourists. Artisans in Syria and Egypt met the demand, producing an array of objects in the “Mamluk revival” style, such as lamps, basins, and kursi (Qur’an stands). Some Mamluk revival objects produced in Cairo in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are direct copies of original objects held by the Museum of Islamic art in Cairo.Metalworkhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/5306/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullHanging Ceiling Lamp with Arabesque Motifs19th-20th centuryCopper alloyThis pierced copper lamp (one of four) is in the shape of a shallow basin pierced with tiny perforations forming geometric designs. The lamp is suspended by four ornate chains. The bottom of the lamp is pierced with a circular rosebud [?] design. A large inscription band encircles the body of the lamp, in praise of the Mamluk ruler, an-Nāṣir Muḥammad ibn Qalāwun who ruled Egypt in three reigns during the late 1200s and 1300s: “Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir, helper to God’s religion and assister of the world always.” These lamps were not created during the reign of an-Nasir Muhammad, but rather during in the nineteenth and twentieth century when the style of the Mamluk period (1250–1517) reemerged, in part, due to a growing demand from European and American museums, collectors, and tourists. Artisans in Syria and Egypt met the demand, producing an array of objects in the “Mamluk revival” style, such as lamps, basins, and kursi (Qur’an stands). Some Mamluk revival objects produced in Cairo in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are direct copies of original objects held by the Museum of Islamic art in Cairo.Metalworkhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/5305/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullHanging Ceiling Lamp with Arabesque Motifs19th-20th centuryCopper alloyThis pierced copper lamp (one of four) is in the shape of a shallow basin pierced with tiny perforations forming geometric designs. The lamp is suspended by four ornate chains. The bottom of the lamp is pierced with a circular rosebud [?] design. A large inscription band encircles the body of the lamp, in praise of the Mamluk ruler, an-Nāṣir Muḥammad ibn Qalāwun who ruled Egypt in three reigns during the late 1200s and 1300s: “Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir, helper to God’s religion and assister of the world always.” These lamps were not created during the reign of an-Nasir Muhammad, but rather during in the nineteenth and twentieth century when the style of the Mamluk period (1250–1517) reemerged, in part, due to a growing demand from European and American museums, collectors, and tourists. Artisans in Syria and Egypt met the demand, producing an array of objects in the “Mamluk revival” style, such as lamps, basins, and kursi (Qur’an stands). Some Mamluk revival objects produced in Cairo in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are direct copies of original objects held by the Museum of Islamic art in Cairo.Metalworkhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/5304/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullCarved and Painted Wooden Ceiling with Stellar and Geometric Motifs1937Wood (cedar), polychrome pigments, gilding, bole, varnishThe ceiling overlooking the foyer is made of richly gilded and painted wood. The colorful geometric and floral motifs painted on the beams are offset by several unpainted beams in the central recessed portion. The ceiling, along with other architectural elements and furnishings, was custom-made for Shangri La by Moroccan artisans working under the supervision of the French firm S.A.L.A.M. René Martin based in Rabat, Morocco. This commission coincided with the revival and adaptation of Moroccan traditional arts in the twentieth century during the French colonial rule of Morocco (1912–1956). During this period, a French colonial administrator named Jean Gallotti published a two volume publication, Le Jardin et la Maison Arabes au Maroc (“The Arab Garden and House in Morocco”). This publication was owned by Doris Duke and served as a point of reference for both the ceiling and colorful stained glass windows of the foyer of Shangri La. (The design precedent for the ceiling appears as plate 32 of Gallotti’s book). Like museums and schools of traditional arts established during the French administration in Morocco, this book categorizes Moroccan arts by their material and aesthetic qualities, rather than their historical period or cultural context. The ceiling is composed of cedar wood, which is native to the Atlas mountains of Morocco. Because the climate in Hawaii differs greatly from the arid conditions of North Africa, the foyer ceiling has undergone careful conservation.Woodworkhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/3569/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullCarved Wooden Railing with Jali (Screen) Insets1937WoodThe carved, latticework balustrade separates the foyer and central courtyard. Called a mashrabiyya in Arabic, this architectural element is typically used as window screens and balcony railings. The wooden screens are crafted from turned wood joined by polygonal blocks, forming intricate, geometric patterns. The mashrabiyya were created by Moroccan craftsmen in the 1930s. They were commissioned in 1937 from the firm S.A.L.A.M. René Martin, located in the Moroccan capital of Rabat. In addition to the mashrabiyya, the commission included other architectural features, including stucco, ceramic tile, and wood for the foyer, living room, central courtyard, and the Moroccan Room (the bedroom of Duke’s former husband, Jame Cromwell). Woodworkhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/5312/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullCarved Wooden Chest with Inlaid Mother of Pearl Floral Motifs19th centuryWood/, mother-of-pearl, metal wire and hardwareThe front of this wooden chest is decorated with tiny pieces of glittering mother-of-pearl arranged in floral motifs with a central floral spray encircled by a wreath of flowers and leaves. This type of chest was a decorative, but utilitarian object used that would have been found in the reception room of Syrian homes in the 1800s, where rooms of the home served multiple purposes, such as receiving visitors, dining, and sleeping. The chest may have been used to stow away bedding and other textiles during the day. Woodworkhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/3576/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullMother-of-Pearl Inlaid Wooden Chest with Floral Motifs19th centuryWood, mother-of-pearl, metal wire and hardwareThis wooden chest is intricately decorated with inlaid mother-of-pear, covering its top, front, sides and base. The front of the chest is decorated by an elaborate central roundel flanked on either side by flower-and-vase motifs. The rectangular chest rests upon a scalloped apron. This type of chest was a decorative, but utilitarian object used that would have been found in the reception room of Syrian homes in the 1800s, where rooms of the home served multiple purposes, such as receiving visitors, dining, and sleeping. The chest may have been used to stow away bedding and other textiles during the day. Towards the end of the 1800s and early 1900s, European and North American tourists and dealers avidly collected these inlaid items. Doris Duke probably purchased inlaid furniture on her visit to Syria in 1938, although this wooden chest was purchased at auction from the collection of the famous newspaper publisher, politician, and businessman, William Randolph Hearst. Woodworkhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/3575/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullCarved Plaster Archway with Vegetal and Floral Motifs1937PlasterThe plaster archway frames the entrance to the foyer at Shangri La. A central lotus motif is framed by swirling vegetal patterns and flanked with symmetrical eight-petaled flowers. This intricately carved plasterwork was created in 1937 by Moroccan craftsmen, a commission overseen by the Rabat-based design firm, S.A.L.A.M. René Martin. These craftsmen took creative measures to bring the traditional form of Moroccan art to Shangri La. Historically, plaster carvers worked in situ, delicately carving their designs in gypsum layered upon the wall. In order to transport the work to Hawaii, the craftsmen produced molds that were later cast in on site. Although yet to be determined, the skillful craftsmanship may be the work of the Najis, a family of artisans from Fez renowned for their skills in plaster carving. The Naji family are descendants of the Telmsani family. Maalem (master) Mohammed Telmsani Eissaoui founded the family business in 1928. This family business, today known as Arabesque, is especially well known for creating the plasterwork of the Moroccan Court at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Stoneworkhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/5308/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullGeometric Medallion (ablaq)Plaster, polychrome pigmentsThis medallion (one of four) is composed of a radiating geometric partner of blue, red, gray and pink shapes. These medallions embellish the spandrels of the arches in the foyer of Shangri La. From afar, this architectural ornamentation appears to be made of inlaid tile or stone. However, it was created using a technique called ablaq, in which a thin layer of plaster is carved and filled with colorful mortar paste. This technique was used to decorate both private residences and public buildings in Damascus during the Ottoman period.Stoneworkhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/7400/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullGeometric Medallion (albaq)Plaster, polychrome pigmentsThis medallion (one of four) is composed of a radiating geometric partner of blue, red, gray and pink shapes. These medallions embellish the spandrels of the arches in the foyer of Shangri La. From afar, this architectural ornamentation appears to be made of inlaid tile or stone. However, it was created using a technique called ablaq, in which a thin layer of plaster is carved and filled with colorful mortar paste. This technique was used to decorate both private residences and public buildings in Damascus during the Ottoman period.Stoneworkhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/9897/rdfhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/60170/fullWooden Door with Inscribed and Ornamented Brass Fittings19th centuryWood, copper alloyWoodworkhttp://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/objects/3557/rdf