Turkish (Ottoman) Lute Late 19th-early 20th century Wood, ebony, ivory, and mother-of-pearl inlay 36 ž x 14 ž x 8 in. (93.3 x 37.5 x 20.3 cm)
The âud (Arabic for ĂŹluteĂŽ) is one of the most characteristic Middle Eastern musical instruments. Although lute-like instruments were already in use in ancient Greece, modern lutes were first introduced to Europe through the court of the Umayyad caliphs in Spain in the course of the 9th and 10th centuries. Today, the 'ud is very different from the old prototypes, and the Turkish 'ud, of which this is an example, differs from the Arabic 'ud in playing style and shape. The Turkish version of the instrument is a transformation of the Arabic 'ud that is attributed to Manolis Venios, a well-known Greek luthier who lived in Constantinople (now Istanbul) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Spanish (Nasrid) Scribeâs Box Late 15th Century Wood, bone, metal, and pigments 9 ž Ă 21 ½ Ă 12 ½ in. (24.8 Ă 54.6 Ă 31.8 cm) This box is an extraordinary example of luxury woodwork production in Spain under the Nasrid dynasty (1232-1492). Probably used by a scribe to store writing implements, it conforms to a tradition of wood inlay that can be seen on a variety of Islamic objects and furniture pieces, such as doors and mosque pulpits. Small tassels of ebony, colored wood, and bone are used to fill the elaborate star-shaped patterns decorating the surface. The stars are distributed in square and rectangular compartments surrounded by frames of varying widths filled with combinations of geometric motifs. The Nasrids, best known for their luxurious palace at the Alhambra, were the last Islamic dynasty to rule Spain before the Christian reconquista, or recapture, of the Iberian peninsula, which was completed in 1492 by Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile.
Reminded me of âOnly Lovers Left Aliveâ.
