This golden Mamluk tray radiates with geometry, sovereignty, and symbolism, its surface mapped into layers of protection and proclamation. At the very center lies the Tughra of Sultan al-Ẓāhir Baybars (الظاهر بيبرس), a calligraphic seal of command declaring his rulership. Below the seal sits a smaller medallion containing the engraved figure of Baybars himself, depicted as a mounted knight-prince in armor, embodying both warrior and sovereign. Around him, lines of praise encircle the scene, exalting the Sultan as a just and victorious ruler.

Calligraphic Inscriptions

The inscriptions surrounding the knight praise Baybars with grand titles:

"الملك القائد الفارس عز لمولانا السلطان العالم العادل المرابط المنصور المنتصر"

Transliteration:
al-Malik al-Qāʾid al-Fāris, ʿizz li-mawlānā al-Sulṭān al-ʿĀlim al-ʿĀdil al-Murābiṭ al-Manṣūr al-Muntaṣir.

Translation:
“The King, the Commander, the Knight, glory to our lord, the Sultan, the Learned, the Just, the Defender of the Faith, the Victorious, the Triumphant.”

Further outward, inscriptions continue in circular bands, tying together authority, faith, and victory.

Artistic Details

• Opposing Lions: One of the most striking registers features twelve lions, paired and opposing each other in alert stances. These lions serve as emblems of strength, vigilance, and guardianship, proclaiming Baybars’ dominion and his role as protector of the realm.
• Kashmīr Shields: Alongside them are twelve round shields (كشامير – kashmīra), alternating with the lions in balance, representing both military power and defensive might.
• Star Geometry: The outermost field is framed by triangular fustūniyyah patterns (مُثلث فستوني), arranged to create the form of a radiant star, uniting the composition in celestial harmony.
• Knightly Center: The figure of Baybars at the core bridges inscription and imagery, his mounted form a living emblem of the praises written around him.

Interpretation

This tray embodies the essence of Mamluk sovereignty: the Tughra as seal of legitimacy, the knightly image of Baybars as living ruler, the lions and shields as guardians of kingdom and faith, and the star-geometry as cosmic order. It is both a proclamation and a protection, a declaration that Baybars’ rule was fortified by justice, strength, and divine favor. Viewed as a whole, the tray becomes a radiant mandala of kingship, where script, beast, and geometry orbit around the enduring presence of the Sultan.