Object No. 54.79

Silver-Inlaid Betel Box with Scroll Motifs

The silver-inlaid scroll designs seen on this betel box are commonly found on both wood and metal in the predominantly Muslim regions of Mindanao in the highlands of the southern Philippines. The motif, notable for its symmetry, is repeated in the interior of the box on the four compartments that housed the four ingredients of betel chew (areca nut, fresh pepper leaves, lime powder, and damp tobacco leaves.)

Culture

Philippines (Mindanao)

Date

19th-20th century

Medium

Copper alloy, silver

Credit Line

Courtesy of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art

Object No. 44.43a-b

Diamond-Inset Enamelled Gold Sarpech (Turban Ornament) with Parrot and Cascading Ruby Grape Cluster

Culture

India (Jaipur)

Date

19th Century

Medium

Enameled gold, diamonds, rubies

Credit Line

Courtesy of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art

Object No. 11.25

Folio from the Qur'an in Kufic Script: Sutra 9, "Repentance" (al-Tauba), verse 31-32

This folio (individual page) was once part of a complete Qur’anic manuscript, sized for personal devotions rather than public prayer. The verses are written in black ink, with red ink marking the diacritics for the short vowels not indicated by letters in Arabic. The verses censure those who venerate religious leaders above God.

Culture

Syria

Date

10th century

Period

Abbasid

Medium

Ink, pigment, vellum

Credit Line

Courtesy of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art

Object No. 57.57

Carved Hexagonal Emerald Brooch with Enamelled (Kundun) Bird and Floral Ornamentation on Reverse

During the reign of the Mughal dynasty in India (1526-1857), large precious stones were highly coveted at court and were frequently given as gifts to secure favors and loyalty. Emeralds, probably mined in Colombia, were brought by traders to India, where they often were embellished with floral designs in low relief. The shape of the emerald at the center of this pendant was determined by its crystallography, which is naturally hexagonal. The later setting was custom-made to complement the emerald's six-sided shape.

Culture

India

Date

18th-19th Century

Period

Mughal

Medium

Enameled gold, emeralds, diamonds, pearls

Credit Line

Courtesy of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art

Object No. 47.85

Painted and Gilded Glass Unguent Bowl

This painted and gilded blown-glass, hemispherical bowl would have been used to mix unguents, such as perfumed lotions or oils. Later in the Mamluk period, such glass vessels were more commonly enamelled rather than painted and gilded. The exterior of this gilded glass bowl is inscribed with standard Mamluk titulature: "The sultan, the possessor, the … and guardian of the world and the religion, killer of infidels and polytheists, the sultan …"

Culture

Egypt

Date

14th century

Period

Mamluk

Medium

Glass, gilded

Credit Line

Courtesy of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art