Pair of Candlesticks

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Pair of Candlesticks

Eastern Mediterranean, Islamic, late 15th - early 16th century
Metal
Brass inlaid with silver
.1-.2) Height: 7 in. (17.78 cm) each .1-.2) Diameter: 6 3/8 in. (16.19 cm) each
Gift of Ronald A. Belkin, Long Beach, California (M.2015.36.1-.2)
Not currently on public view

Curator Notes

...
Mamluk inlaid metalwork (for an example, see M.73.5.125) from Egypt and the Levant was an especially popular export to Italy, where it inspired European craftsmen. This pair of candlesticks is datable to the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century, but its place of manufacture is less obvious; the candlesticks may have been produced in late Mamluk Cairo or Damascus or else in Venice. Their distinctive shape is likely of Italian inspiration, but the inlaid silver ornament is entirely Islamic. Perhaps the candlesticks were fabricated in Venice and sent to the Levant to be decorated by Muslim craftsmen. This mixing of styles demonstrates the important and lasting impact of Islamic art on European design.
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Bibliography

  • Komaroff, Linda. Beauty and Identity: Islamic Art from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2016.