Made in Arabic
sultan
السُّلطان
A brass basin inlaid with silver, made for the Mamluk sultan Qaytbay, the last of the great Mamluk sultans, whose reign briefly revived the metalwork of his day. An inscription of his titles runs around it, the first of them «the Sultan». Arabic sulṭān means power and rule, and then the one who holds them; Turkish took the title, then French, and English sultan.
- Instrument
- a brass basin of Sultan Qaytbay, Egypt or Syria, 1468–96
- Written on it in Arabic
- Around its body: «Glory to our Lord, the Sultan, the King al-Ashraf Abu al-Nasr Qaytbay … the Sultan of Islam and the Muslims».
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, ملكٌ عامّ
Click a card to see it full size; each has a download button for sharing.
Sources
Spotted a mistake, or have something to add?
Your note comes to us only; it is not published here. We read it, and if it holds we correct the card.

