Lotto No. 200


Afghanistan, North Pakistan: An old Koran stand made from a piece of hard wood, with rich relief decoration on the outside.


Afghanistan, North Pakistan: An old Koran stand made from a piece of hard wood, with rich relief decoration on the outside. - Arte Tribale

According to the religious customs of Islam, the ‘holy book’, the Koran, must be always treated with respect and awe. For this reason, it must not lie on the naked soil. For this purpose, there are special Koran stands, also known as ‘Rahl-e sharif’, used for reading the Koran and other religious writings.
Such folding bookrests are carved from a single piece of hard wood. A thick board is sawed in halves by its length. In the middle of this same piece, however, a narrow strip of wood has not been sawed. This ‘full’, undivided part of the wood is subsequently sawed and carved, and then used as a composite hinge. This hinge makes it possible to open the two halves of the original board as a bookrest. The external sides are usually decorated with chip-carving reliefs or inlays of other materials.
All the inner sides of the present, old Koran stand, designed for holding the texts, are all smooth and undecorated. Unlike them, all four external sides are richly decorated with elaborate reliefs: The upper parts of the two external surfaces of the bookrest feature geometrically stylised views of mosques with two minarets each. The lower section of the Koran stand is cut-out in the shape of two niches with ‘hanging’ decorative elements, resulting in charming short ‘legs’ at the four corners. Additionally adorned with bands of dot-circle decorations, zigzag lines, volutes, corner palmettes etc.
A carefully crafted piece, with old usage patina and only two areas with minor age damage (one smaller loss in the upper and one in the lower section). 19th century; dimensions: 52 cm x 23 cm (closed); H: 32 cm (open). (ME)

Esperto: Prof. Erwin Melchardt Prof. Erwin Melchardt
+43-1-515 60-465

erwin.melchardt@dorotheum.at

26.05.2015 - 15:00

Stima:
EUR 600,- a EUR 800,-

Afghanistan, North Pakistan: An old Koran stand made from a piece of hard wood, with rich relief decoration on the outside.


According to the religious customs of Islam, the ‘holy book’, the Koran, must be always treated with respect and awe. For this reason, it must not lie on the naked soil. For this purpose, there are special Koran stands, also known as ‘Rahl-e sharif’, used for reading the Koran and other religious writings.
Such folding bookrests are carved from a single piece of hard wood. A thick board is sawed in halves by its length. In the middle of this same piece, however, a narrow strip of wood has not been sawed. This ‘full’, undivided part of the wood is subsequently sawed and carved, and then used as a composite hinge. This hinge makes it possible to open the two halves of the original board as a bookrest. The external sides are usually decorated with chip-carving reliefs or inlays of other materials.
All the inner sides of the present, old Koran stand, designed for holding the texts, are all smooth and undecorated. Unlike them, all four external sides are richly decorated with elaborate reliefs: The upper parts of the two external surfaces of the bookrest feature geometrically stylised views of mosques with two minarets each. The lower section of the Koran stand is cut-out in the shape of two niches with ‘hanging’ decorative elements, resulting in charming short ‘legs’ at the four corners. Additionally adorned with bands of dot-circle decorations, zigzag lines, volutes, corner palmettes etc.
A carefully crafted piece, with old usage patina and only two areas with minor age damage (one smaller loss in the upper and one in the lower section). 19th century; dimensions: 52 cm x 23 cm (closed); H: 32 cm (open). (ME)

Esperto: Prof. Erwin Melchardt Prof. Erwin Melchardt
+43-1-515 60-465

erwin.melchardt@dorotheum.at


Hotline dell'acquirente lun-ven: 10.00 - 17.00
kundendienst@dorotheum.at

+43 1 515 60 200
Asta: Arte Tribale
Tipo d'asta: Asta in sala
Data: 26.05.2015 - 15:00
Luogo dell'asta: Wien | Palais Dorotheum
Esposizione: 20.05. - 26.05.2015