Among the body of scientific knowledge inherited from the Greeks by Muslim scholars was astrology, which came to play an important role in Islamic society, influencing a variety of activities, including medical treatments and political decision-making. In the arts, astrological motifs appeared on a number of objects, such as this tray, and were believed to be auspicious for the owner. At the center of this intricately inlaid tray is a silver sun surrounded by five planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn), the moon, and the twelve zodiac symbols.