The Art And Architecture of Islamic Cairo

Glory to our lord, the sultan, the king, the possessing,
the learned, the diligent, the fortified by God,
the triumphant, the victorious, the holy warrior, the
defender, the sword of the world and religion, right
arm of Islam and the Muslims, subduer of infidels
and polytheists, slayer of rebels, reviver of justice in
the worlds, giving victory to the truth with proofs,
guardian of the borders of the Muslim lands, righter
of the oppressed against the oppressors, father of
orphans and the poor, buttress of the caliphate,
partner in the kingdom, pillar of the nation giving
victory to the community, summit of dignities,
pole-star of sultans, destroyer of atheists, musterer
of holy warriors, dominant over the nations, sultan
of the Arabs and Persians, hero of Syria, king of Iraq,
unique of the age, fortified by God with victory,
guardian of the borders by assailing the marauders,
father of gifts, bestower of praises, al-Malik al’Adil,
Abu Bakr, son of our Lord the Sultan al-Malik
al-Kamil Abu al-Ma’ali Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr
ibn Ayyub, may his victory be glorified. 6
Despite the length of this inscription the decorative impact on the
outside of the vessel is through the delicate bands of arabesque and
the quatrefoil medallions containing figurative vignettes. Very typical
of ‘Mosul’ ware is the background filled with interlocking geometric
T-shaped fret patterns, which may have been inspired by Chinese
woven silks. The quatrefoil medallions show scenes of combat,
hunting and mythical beasts.
In the Freer Gallery, Washington, an Ayyubid brass basin (the
D’Arenberg Basin), inlaid with silver, intermingles Christian and
Muslim iconography. The basin was made in Damascus for Sultan
Najm al-Din Ayyub after he was invested by the caliph in 1247. This
is a most elegant and refined object divided on the outside into
horizontal bands filled with fine arabesques, plaited Kufic, animals,
octafoil medallions and friezes depicting battles and polo players. The
medallions under the rim show scenes of the Annunciation, the
raising of Lazarus, the entry into Jerusalem and the Last Supper. It has
been suggested that this curious juxtaposition of Christian and
Islamic iconography may have symbolized Muslim superiority over
the Christians, but on the other hand it might simply have been
designed for a Christian patron. 7 Whatever the interpretation the
The Decorative Arts of the Ayyubids and Mamluks 169