Pair of Minbar Doors

ca. 1325–30

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 450

A minbar, or pulpit, consists of a podium reached by stairs with doors such as these at its base. It is used in mosques by imams, prayer leaders, to deliver the sermon at the main service of the week, at noon on Friday. These doors, with the intricate geometric inlay typical of the Mamluk period, are thought to come from the fourteenth‑century mosque of Saif al‑Din Qawsun in Cairo. They were one of the earliest bequests to the Museum, donated by Edward C. Moore, a designer at Tiffany and Co. who was inspired by Islamic art.

Artwork Details

Title: Pair of Minbar Doors
Date: ca. 1325–30
Geography: Attributed to Egypt, Cairo
Medium: Wood (rosewood and mulberry); carved and inlaid with carved ivory, ebony, and other woods
Dimensions: H. 77 1/4 in. (196.2 cm)
W. 35 in. (88.9 cm)
D. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm)
Object encased in weighted freestanding mount. Estimated Wt of piece: 80- 120 lbs.
Classification: Wood
Credit Line: Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891
Object Number: 91.1.2064
Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

Audio

6675. Pair of Minbar Doors, Part 1

Investigations: Art, Conservation, and Science

0:00

NARRATOR: This is marked “I” as one of our “Investigation” stops:

ELLEN KENNY: Hi, I'm Ellen Kenney. I'm a Research Associate in the Department of Islamic Art. And we have a guest here, Mecka Baumeister, a conservator of the museum. And we're here today to talk about some stunning minbar doors. It's from the minbar that the khutbah, or the sermon on Friday would be given. And it's a set of doors…. that would have once been on the portal of one of these minbars. Mecka is an expert on wood and wood conservation, and she's had a very close, in-depth look at these doors, and has some interesting things to tell us about them.

MECKA BAUMEISTER: The construction technique uses no nails or glue, but relies on close fitting pieces and interlocking joints. This ingenious technique prevents warping of the hygroscopic materials, wood and ivory,…and allows them to expand and contract freely.

ELLEN KENNY: One of the things that I found so fascinating about these doors is not just their own history, but their collection history.

NARRATOR: To hear that story, press PLAY.

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Panel from a Minbar, Wood; carved, inlaid with ivory and ebony, traces of paint — Panel from a Minbar
13th–14th century

Panel, Wood; inlaid with carved and plain ivory and ebony — Panel
13th–14th century

Panel from a Minbar, Wood; carved, inlaid with ivory, traces of paint — Panel from a Minbar
13th–14th century

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