This brass tray unfolds like a living bestiary in metal, a cosmos where script, geometry, and animal life are bound together. At its center lies a sunburst medallion, radiating bands of calligraphy around a circular scene in which a mounted rider dominates, the figure of al-Malik al-Ẓāhir Baybars, the Sultan as both warrior and guardian. From this luminous heart, a dense weave of Mamluk scrollwork and geometry extends outward, enclosing a remarkable ring of wildlife scenes.

Each section teems with vitality: lions with human-like faces and thick manes crouch in strength; elephants march with calves in protective procession; giraffes stride gracefully in herds; camels walk in opposing directions, tethered to rhythm and order; antelopes leap among flowering trees; foxes, leopards, hares, and zebras animate the surface; and birds perch or hover across the foliage, their wings finely etched. The engraver left no space idle: every star pattern, vine, and beast overlaps or interacts, creating an eternal cycle of motion and struggle.

Calligraphic Inscriptions

The inscriptions praise Sultan Baybars with exalted honorifics:

"عز مولانا السلطان الملك الناصر العالم العادل المحارب القائد الظاهر بيبرس عز نصره"

Transliteration:
ʿIzz mawlānā al-Sulṭān al-Malik al-Nāṣir al-ʿĀlim al-ʿĀdil al-Muḥārib al-Qāʾid al-Ẓāhir Baybars, ʿizza naṣruhu.

Translation:
“Glory to our lord, the Sultan, the Victorious King, the Learned, the Just, the Warrior, the Commander, al-Ẓāhir Baybars, may his victory be exalted.”

These praises frame the rider at the center as not only a hunter but the embodiment of divine justice, martial power, and guardianship of creation.

Artistic Details

• Central Rider: Baybars as hunter-king, riding at the heart of the tray, anchoring the entire composition in his presence.
• Circle of Beasts: Around him unfolds a continuous procession of animals, each distinct yet interconnected, forming a living circle of creation.
• Baby Elephant & Giraffes: Extreme detail distinguishes this tray, the depiction of a calf beside its elephant mother, herds of giraffes in motion, and camels walking in alternating directions.
• Geometric Star Framework: The composition is structured by yoged muṯallathāt fustūniyyah (interlocking triangular motifs), which radiate outward to form an eight-pointed star. This star shape, glowing from the surface like a constellation, mirrors the heavens and situates the Sultan at the cosmic axis.
• Mamluk Scrolls: Flowing vegetal arabesques weave between beasts and text, fusing ornament with natural vitality.
• Fortress Rim: The stepped, battlement-like rim acts as a protective enclosure, containing the sacred garden of creation within.

Interpretation

This tray is more than a hunting scene or decorative bestiary; it is a cosmology of rulership. By placing himself at the center, Baybars is depicted as master of both court and creation, protector of divine order mirrored in the natural kingdom. The cycle of beasts, the alternating geometry, and the praises inscribed around him form a proclamation in metal: the Sultan as the axis of justice, strength, and divine stewardship, set within a star-shaped design that reflects the very order of the sky.