Folding Qur'an Stand

Folding Qur'an Stand.

India, 17^th – 18^th century.
42.2 cm high, 22.2 cm wide (closed).

Of folding form, this elegant Quran stand is made of two rectangular panels connected by hinges in the centre. On the top half of the exterior panels there is a rectangular medallion with geometric lattice decorations in ivory surrounded by a stained, green-coloured, ivory border. In addition, there is a continuous arrangement of ivory and tortoiseshell borders, of which the widest is decorated with small rectangular ivory and ebony pieces placed in a zig-zag format. This zig-zag border continues on the lower half of the panels which has also been carved and adorned with a large palmette with spandrels made of tortoiseshell to form the four legs of the stand. Throughout the edges of the object there is ivory and tortoiseshell inlaid in a checkerboard-style. The interior of the stand is also decorated with a stained-ivory border on each side, which is surrounded by three rows of eight-sided stars carved into the wood. 
Indeed, Quran stands such as this were beautifully manufactured items intended for use in mosques, mausoleums, or homes. Quran stands have traditionally been essential in a religious setting because they provide the necessary respect required by keeping the Quran high above the ground.
A similar Indian Quran stand is in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Istanbul (inv. no. 79), and pictured in Cevdet Çulpan. Rahleler. Istanbul: 1968, p. 45. Cat. 57.

This object incorporates old ivory and has been registered with Defra

Price on application

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance