This item has been added to the Database within the Explore Islamic Art Collections project. Information is available in: English, German, Arabic.

Name of Object:

Mace, so-called buzogan

Location:

Vienna, Austria

Holding Museum:

Kunsthistorisches Museum

About Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Date of Object:

Hegira 9th century / AD 15th century

Museum Inventory Number:

HJRK_C_61

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Ivory, brown and black wood, brass pins

Dimensions:

Length: 71.5cm, Diameter: 7cm

Period / Dynasty:

Mamluk

Provenance:

Egypt?

Description:

This ceremonial mace was embellished with star and flower inlays, a technique popular in Egypt, Persia and India. The decoration consists of tiny pieces of ivory, brown and black wood, and brass sticks. A piece of ivory forms the end of the handle. Since antiquity, ceremonial maces have served as the insignia of noble Orientals.

How date and origin were established:

Comparison with similar objects

How Object was obtained:

Collection Ambras Castle, Inventory AD 1559

How provenance was established:

Collection Ambras Castle, Inventory AD 1559

Selected bibliography:

Pfaffenbichler, Matthias and Sternthal, Barbara (eds), Kreuzritter. Pilger. Krieger. Abenteurer, Schallaburg: Schallaburg Kulturbetriebsgesellschaft, 2007.
Thomas, Bruno and Gamber, Ortwin, Katalog der Leibrüstkammer I. Teil. Der Zeitraum von 500 bis 1530, Wien: Verlag Anton Schroll & Co, 1976.

Citation of this web page:

Matthias Pfaffenbichler, Tobias Roeder "Mace, so-called buzogan" in Explore Islamic Art Collections. Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;at;Mus22;17;en

Prepared by: Matthias Pfaffenbichler, Tobias Roeder
Copyedited by: Liz Cooper

MWNF Working Number: AT2 17