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

Name of Object:

Qur’an Stand

Location:

Shahaniya, Qatar

Holding Museum:

FBQ Museum

About FBQ Museum, Shahaniya

Current Owner:

Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani

Date of Object:

19th century

Museum Inventory Number:

FBQ.HH.668

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Cedar Wood

Dimensions:

Length: 30cm , Width: 27cm, Height: 25cm

Period / Dynasty:

Mughal

Provenance:

India

Description:

This Qur’an stand would elevate larger holy books to prevent direct contact with the unclean surface of the ground. The pigmented wood structure from India features deep floral carvings.

Mughal-style carvings with rows of florals and vines adorn the Qur’an stand in geometric precision. While Islamic woodwork in India remains widely understudied, the lobed arches of the legs remind of Mughal architecture. Furthermore, the woodwork of the Mughal Empire rarely bears inscriptions, hindering an accurate dating and study of clusters of pieces.

These stands still cradle Qur’ans in affluent homes, mosques, Islamic schools (madrasa), and in tombs for recitation and display purposes.

How date and origin were established:

The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, colour, engraving and pattern.

How Object was obtained:

Purchase

How provenance was established:

The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, colour, engraving and pattern.

Selected bibliography:

Carvalho, P. M., "What Happened to the Mughal Furniture? The Role of the Imperial Workshops, the Decorative Motifs Used, and the Influence of Western Models", Muqarnas, 21 (2004): 79–93.
Mahshid, K. E., Islamic wood work motifs of Iran and India in Mughal era/Mahshid Kakouei Ezbarami, Doctoral dissertation, University of Malaya, 2016.

Citation of this web page:

Sarah Schroeder "Qur’an Stand" in Explore Islamic Art Collections. Museum With No Frontiers, 2026.
https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;qt;Mus22;26;en

Prepared by: Sarah Schroeder
Copyedited by: Janice MedinaJanice Medina

Janice Medina is an artist and educator based in Upstate New York. She studied interior design at Syracuse University and obtained her M.S. in Building Conservation in 2008 (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) and Master of Fine Arts in 2019 (University at Albany).

Janice is a former participant in the US/ICOMOS International Exchange Program and she has taught courses in the history of design and historic preservation. Her artwork is influenced by her experiences in historic preservation, as well as by building materials and the natural environment.

Janice has participated as a copy-editor with Museum With No Frontiers since 2019. In this role she has had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects including Discover Islamic Art, Discover Baroque Art and Discover Glass Art.

MWNF Working Number: QT2 26