This extraordinary brass tray unfolds like a cosmic manuscript, its surface mapped to the heavens and sealed with divine order. At the center lies a radiant medallion filled with dense Arabic calligraphy, its words blazing outward like beams of light. Around this core, the engraver inscribed the full cycle of the zodiac, transforming the tray into a horoscope of eternity.

Each sign appears in its own field of motion: Cancer crouches with extended claws, sentinel of the waters; Gemini mirrors itself in paired human figures; Leo prowls with rippling mane, emblem of courage and dominion; Scorpio coils with tail arched, symbol of danger and secrecy; Sagittarius raises his bow mid-draw, half man and half horse, uniting intellect and instinct; Capricorn climbs forward, a hybrid of determination and struggle. Completing the wheel, Aries, Taurus, Virgo, Libra, Aquarius, and Pisces are each engraved in stylized form, making the surface a living zodiacal chart in copper.

The engravings are more than illustrations; they are cosmic emblems, binding human destiny to the stars. Surrounding inscriptions act as a sacred orbit, interlaced with vegetal scrolls, ensuring the zodiac turns within divine decree. The rim, braided and knotted, serves as the edge of the universe, enclosing the eternal cycle.

Calligraphic Inscriptions

At the very center is the seal of the Sultan, surrounded by praises to his majesty. The outer zones contain Qur’anic blessings and poetic honorifics, while between the zodiac images appear panels with T-shaped dividers, hallmarks of Mamluk design, each inscribed with further praises to the king.

"عز لمولانا السلطان الملك الناصر عز نصره"

Transliteration:
ʿIzz li-mawlānā al-Sulṭān al-Malik al-Nāṣir, ʿizza naṣruhu.

Translation:
“Glory to our lord, the Sultan, the Victorious King, may his victory be exalted.”

Artistic Details

• Central Authority: The Sultan’s seal anchors the cosmos, proclaiming his rule at the heart of the zodiac.
• Horoscope Experts: Around the outer band appear figures of astrologers, the Sultan’s advisors in cosmic knowledge, shown seated and holding scrolls or instruments, framing the zodiac in learned interpretation.
• T-Shaped Dividers: Between the images, precise T-shaped separators enclose inscriptions, a hallmark of Mamluk artistic geometry and a mark of discipline in design.
• Cosmic Order: Zodiac signs, Animals, hybrid figures, and human forms together become a visual theology of time, fortune, and divine order.

Interpretation

This tray is both a celestial chart and a royal proclamation. The zodiac cycle embodies fate and cosmic balance, yet at its center, the Sultan reigns, his authority cast as the axis of heaven itself. The astrologers seated around him reflect the Mamluk fascination with astronomy and divination, translating the sky into the service of the throne. Through calligraphy, geometry, and cosmology, the tray declares that time, stars, and destiny all orbit under the Sultan’s dominion.