Panel from Minbar

Art Historical Context

This exquisite wooden panel, hailing from a minbar—a raised pulpit in a mosque used for delivering sermons—dates to the 14th–15th century and exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of Islamic art. Minbars were among the most prestigious architectural elements in mosques, often by rulers or wealthy patrons to showcase piety and artistic prowess. Though the artist remains unknown, the panel's small size (just over 6 inches square and remarkably thin at under 1 inch deep) suggests it was one of many intricate components forming a larger structure, likely from the Mamluk or related regions where su...