SULTAN HASAN

The lamp shown here is an adaptation of a 14th-century thurayya made in the name of the Mamluk Sultan Hasan and now in the Islamic Museum in Cairo. The domical shade is perforated and engraved with the Beautiful Names of Allah (Asma' Allah ul Husna). The shade is surmounted by a finial holding a tray formed of twelve openwork side panels with trefoil crenelations surrounding a large crescent, like the classic minaret finial, from which the thurayya is suspended. A steel rod runs through the crescent, connecting to an interior stell reinforcement frame within the lampshade. The lower frame surrounding the base of the dome is formed of twelve panels, each with an etched and perforated geometrical pattern bordered above and below by trefoil crenelations.

Instead of a single polycandelon tray as in the mediaeval prototype, the artist has created a two-tiered tray suspended by steel rods within twisted brass tubing interrupted with spherical ornaments. The upper level is formed of twelve panels etched with foliated patterns, pierced by lobed arches and surmounted by trefoil crenelations. Qanadil from the upper tray extend around the circumference of the lower level of the polycandelon, which is also formed of twelve rectangular panels, etched with foliated patterns, and from which more qanadil extend.

The lamp shown here was designed for the Sofitel Sharm El Sheikh.

LMAM-35