Egypt’s First Prime Minister Nubar Pasha’s Ancient 14th-Century Sarghitmish Mosque Lamp – Art Market News
One of the rarest and most important examples of Islamic glassware ever offered at auction will lead Bonhams Islamic and Indian Art Sale on Tuesday 12 November 2024 in London. The 14th century Sarghitmish lamp from Egypt, with an impeccable provenance having been in the family of Egypt’s first Prime Minister, Nubar Pasha, for more than a century, is being offered with an estimate of £600,000-1,000,000 ($785,000-1,300,000).
Mosque lamps are considered some of the most technically accomplished examples of medieval glassware anywhere in the world. The technique of simultaneously gilding and enamelling glass was almost unique to the Mamluk court, where they were produced in the 13th and 14th centuries for decoration and provision of light in Mosques. Illuminating a Mosque was considered an act of religious patronage, so Mosque lamps were usually dedicated by Sultans and Dignitaries.
This particular lamp was commissioned by the Mamluk Emir Sarghitmish, a powerful chief during the reign of the Sultan an-Nasir Muhammad. The lamp carries both his name and the Sultan’s name, as well as the blazon of Sarghitmish. It was most likely hung in the Madrasa of Sarghitmish, a very prominent Mosque, that still stands today in Cairo’s Medieval quarter.
The lamp is inscribed with a verse from surah al-Nur from the Qur’an, a reminder that Mosque lamps served as a physical manifestation of the light of Allah, and that their production was considered an important act of religious patronage by wealthy and powerful figures. It was standard practice in medieval enamelled lamps that their upper inscription was Qur’anic.
The Mamluk enamelled glass mosque lamp is one of the largest, most extensively published and widely exhibited examples of its kind. Its exhibition history includes displays in three of Paris’ major museums in the 19th century as well as being featured in at least ten major publications dating back to 1869.
This lamp, a shining example of medieval glassware, serves as a powerful display of piety and politics, showcasing the intricate craftsmanship and religious significance of Islamic art. Its rarity, historical provenance, and extensive exhibition history make it one of the most important pieces of Islamic glassware ever to come to market.
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Matteo Fiorelli is an alumnus of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze in Italy, where he earned his degree in Painting and Visual Arts. His vibrant, abstract works draw inspiration from the Renaissance and modern street art, merging classical techniques with urban influences. Matteo has exhibited his paintings in galleries throughout Italy and France.