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© 2014, Linny Morris, courtesy of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.
Mirrored Muqarnas-Inspired Ceiling
© 2014, Linny Morris, courtesy of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.
© 2014, Linny Morris, courtesy of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.
© 2014, Linny Morris, courtesy of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.

Mirrored Muqarnas-Inspired Ceiling

Date1938-1939
MediumPlaster (lime), mirrored glass, chrome plated brass moldings, steel armature
DimensionsOverall: 176 5/8 × 138 in. (448.6 × 350.5cm)
ClassificationsStonework
Object number78.4
DescriptionThis sparkling ceiling overlooks the former dressing room in the Mughal Gallery. The geometric, honeycomb-like vaults, called muqarnas, are formed from plaster inset with tiny, glittering mirrors. The inspiration for this design came from the tomb of Imam Reza in Mashhad in Iran, which Doris Duke visited on a trip to Iran in 1938. The mirrored ceiling, however, would not be out of place in Mughal India, where the domes and vaults of shish mahals, or “crystal palaces,” are covered with thousands of tiny mirrors, creating a dazzling effect.
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