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Mosque Lamp for the Mausoleum of Amir Aydakin al-'Ala'i al-Bunduqdar

shortly after 1285
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 454
This lamp’s inscriptions reveal that it was ordered for Aydakin’s mausoleum (turba), a building still standing in Cairo. Mamluk amirs adopted emblems, often connected with their ceremonial roles at court, which decorated the objects and buildings they commissioned. Here, the motif of two gold crossbows against a red shield illustrates the office of bunduqdar (bow‑keeper).

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Mosque Lamp for the Mausoleum of Amir Aydakin al-'Ala'i al-Bunduqdar
  • Date: shortly after 1285
  • Geography: Made in Egypt, probably Cairo
  • Medium: Glass; blown, folded foot, applied handles, enameled, and gilded
  • Dimensions: H. 10 3/8 in. (26.4 cm)
    Diam. of rim 8 1/4 in. (21 cm)
  • Classification: Glass
  • Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
  • Object Number: 17.190.985
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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