Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Wooden Chest with Floral Motifs
Date19th century
PeriodOttoman
MediumWood, mother-of-pearl, metal wire and hardware
DimensionsOverall: 41 1/2 x 65 x 27 1/2 in. (105.4 x 165.1 x 69.9cm)
ClassificationsWoodwork
Credit LineCourtesy of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art
Object number65.4
DescriptionThis 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.
On View
On viewCollections
19th century
19th-20th century
17th century
Dated 1271 AH (1854 - 1855 CE)
Dated 1271 AH (1854 - 1855 CE)
Dated 1271 AH (1854 - 1855 CE)
