- Title
- Foundation Stone
- Date Made
- 15th century
- Medium
- Marble, carved, with traces of paint and gilding
- Dimensions
- 12 3/4 x 20 1/4 x 3 1/2 in. (32.38 x 51.43 x 8.89 cm)
- Accession Number
- M.2002.1.29
- Collecting Area
- Art of the Middle East: Islamic
- Curatorial Notes
In late medieval Egypt the ruling elite built and lavishly endowed religious foundations, mainly in Cairo, the capital, which even today is marked by the tall domes, lofty stone facades, and balconied minarets that characterize the architecture of this period. The entrance portals of such buildings often carried elegantly carved stone inscriptions with the names of donors and dates of construction. These stone elements were frequently further embellished by paint, as is the case with this marble inscription whose tantalizing truncated text confirms that it once graced a religious foundation (although the name of the donor and perhaps the date must have been inscribed on an adjacent stone): "This blessed place [was founded] by his (noble) excellency."
