Quran stand

Near East (probably Turkey) or the Balkan Peninsula, Ottoman period, 19th century

The wood-carved stand (table) is decorated with a geometric pattern of ivory and mother-of-pearl inlay.

W: 25.5 cm / L: (one half) 95 cm

UMP 6213

Purchased from Heinrich Kautsch in Paris in 1901.

Similar folding stands (tables) were used to hold books (the Quran) during reading and recitation. Appearing in mosques and theological schools, they can be quite simple and almost entirely lacking decoration, or they can be ornately carved and inlaid with precious materials.