This is a copy of a 14th century Mamluk ‘kursi’ or Qur’an stand. The hexagonal-shaped stand is inlaid with gold, silver and copper with the surface covered in pierced and incised decorations that include titular and dedicatory inscription bands, fretwork and palmette scrolls. It is supported on knobbed baluster feetDuring the Mamluk period (1250-1516 CE), the kursi would have been used to keep Qur’ans in mosques and madrasahs (religious schools). It was also used to place the Qur’an while it was being read. As the book that contains the Divine Revelations of God, the Qur’an is handled and stored with care and respect at all times. In the 19th century, there was a revival of interest in things associated with Mamluks in Egypt by the Europeans.
