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Islamic Art
Turkey, Ottoman
Box, c. 1640
Wood inlaid with tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl, ivory, and ebony
8 3/4 x 13 x 8 3/4 in. (22.23 x 33.02 x 22.23 cm)
M.2005.125
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This spectacular inlaid wood box exemplifies the preeminence of Ottoman high court art. Indeed, its bold decoration—a repeat design of three circles—and rich technique—including mother-of-pearl plaques and thin sections of tortoiseshell laid over gold foil that give it a bright, lustrous quality—suggest that the box may once have served as a furnishing for the famed Topkapi Palace.
The greatest of the late Islamic rulers, the Ottomans already controlled all of Anatolia and parts of Eastern Europe prior to their conquest of Constantinople in 1453, but the 16th and early 17th century were the Ottoman golden age. Even more so than in earlier periods, art was an instrument of dynastic expression, and nowhere was this more apparent than in the royal residence and seat of imperial authority—the Topkapi. There, in 1640, a sumptuous pavilion was erected and decorated with tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl inlaid wood shutters and doors bearing the motif of three circles. LACMA’s stunning box can be associated with this Ottoman royal pavilion on account of its complementary design.
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Purchased with funds provided by the Art Museum Council in honor of the museum's fortieth anniversary. |
