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Plaque

Egyptian (Artist)
ca. 1470 (late Medieval)
ivory or bone
(Islamic World , Medieval Europe )

This plaque was probably originally set into a piece of furniture in a madrasa, or theological college, built by Sultan Qaitbay (1467-1496), ruler of the Mamluk Dynasty and an active patron of the arts. The inscription in "thuluth" script is an invocation based on two verses of the Qur'an (from "sura," or chapter, 74). It reads: "Night and day have mixed in the enjoyment of it."

Inscription

[Inscription] Night and day have mixed in the enjoyment of it.

Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.

Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Exhibitions

2013-2014 Threshold to the Sacred: The Ark Door of Cairo’s Ben Ezra Synagogue . The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; Yeshiva University Museum, New York.
1979 Calligraphy in the Arts of the Muslim World. Asia House Gallery, New York; Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle; Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis.
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Geographies

Egypt (Place of Origin)

Measurements

2 9/16 x 11 1/4 in. (6.5 x 28.5 cm)
with frame 4 5/16 x 13 x 3/8 in. (11 x 33 x 1 cm)

Credit Line

Acquired by Henry Walters

Location in Museum

Not on view

Accession Number

In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.

71.561

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Hours

  • Wednesday—Sunday: 10 a.m.—5 p.m.
  • Thursday: 1–8 p.m.
  • Monday—Tuesday: Closed

Location

600 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD
21201

Phone

410-547-9000

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