This large copper-alloy tray is a theatre in the round, alive with movement, symmetry, and praise. At its center blooms a sunburst rosette, its petals filled with dense foliage and a small ring of script that reads like a whispered blessing. From this radiant nucleus, two concentric bands expand outward: first a ring of short cartouches, then a taller orbit of elongated calligraphy that rises like minarets. Though the framework is strictly geometric, the engraved figures animate it with vibrant life.

Surrounding the core, six scalloped medallions mark the middle zone, each containing a mounted knight in armor and a pointed cap. Every rider is distinct; one holds reins tightly, another brandishes a lance, and others raise banners or swords. Their horses rear, twist, or gallop in different motions, with even tails carved in unique patterns, creating the sense of a perpetual ceremonial cavalcade circling the tray. Between these riders, slim vertical panels of calligraphy are laid on a star-diaper ground, binding text and imagery into a single woven fabric.

Calligraphic Inscriptions

At the core appears the Sultan’s seal, surrounded by concentric praises in multiples of six. The inscriptions extol him with exalted titles:

"الملك المجاهد العالم الغازي السلطان العظيم عز نصره"
(al-Malik al-Mujāhid al-ʿĀlim al-Ghāzī al-Sulṭān al-ʿAẓīm, ʿizza naṣruhu)

Translation:
“The King, the Fighter in God’s cause, the Learned, the Conqueror, the Great Sultan, may his victory be exalted.”

At the outermost band:

"الملك القائد السلطان الناصر"
(al-Malik al-Qāʾid al-Sulṭān al-Nāṣir)

Translation:
“The King, the Commander, the Victorious Sultan.”

Artistic Details

• Sets of Six: The entire composition is built on the sacred rhythm of six. Six gates encircle the Sultan’s core seal; each is guarded by a lion, and beyond them, by a knight, all distinct, yet harmonized. Even the praises of the Sultan appear in sixfold repetition, reinforcing cosmic symmetry.
• Lions as Guardians: Addorsed lions, their manes punched into curls and tails coiling into scrollwork, guard both medallions and inscriptions. They symbolize fortitude, kingship, and just rule, compact emblems of authority.
• Birds & Surprises: Birds perch in foliage knots, peacocks appear in turning vines, and teardrop palmettes punctuate junctions like commas in a sacred text.
• Geometric Grounds: No space is idle: interlocking stars, basket-hatch, and braided interlace shimmer across the background, catching the light as if the surface itself breathes.
• Architectural Rim: The outer edge, with its cord of script and petite palmettes, reads like a carved cornice, containing the energy within a firm architectural frame.

Interpretation

This tray is a rotating narrative of power and piety. At the center, the Sultan is enthroned in divine light; around him, six gates, six lions, and six knights proclaim layers of protection and loyalty. The animals add majesty and vigilance, the riders bring motion and ceremony, while the inscriptions supply the eternal voice of blessing. The result is not mere ornamentation but an eternal procession of court and cosmos, circling endlessly around the central emblem of sovereignty.