Marquetry Box for Weighing Scales

The Nasrids, a Muslim dynasty founded in 629 AH/1232 CE by Muhammad ibn Nasr (d. 671 AH/1273 CE), ruled their emirate from Granada, the southernmost extent of the Iberian Peninsula and the last vestige of al-Andalus. Muslim rule in al-Andalus had experienced a gradual decline over the preceding centuries since the collapse of the second Umayyad Caliphate in the 5th AH/11th CE century, and the Nasrids, now relegated to a diminutive area, asserted their authority and power through trade and the production of fine decorative arts—objects highly desired and sold commercially, especially in Christendom, including marquetry boxes and silk textiles.

This marquetry box, an example from among these luxurious commodities, was designed to hold weighing scales—the pans, a balance, and weights—for a goldsmith, merchant, or a related vocation of means. It was hollowed from a solid block of beech wood, and the exterior was inlaid with hardwoods, namely ebony and walnut, metal, and animal bones, although some individual bone pieces were stained green, ochre, and red. A movable lid, with most of the inlay, slid on a tongue-and-groove joint, protecting the contents. The box, produced during the 9th AH/15th CE century, in the twilight of Nasrid rule, as Christian forces imposing the Reconquista pressed against their emirate, still represents some of the finest artisanship from Granadan workshops. This skill is evidenced by careful workshop instructions on parchment, visible in a corner, unfortunately, due to missing inlay, comprising a partial Arabic inscription and outline—incredibly, this detail would have guided the Granadan marquetrists. Surviving Nasrid material culture is uncommon, and particularly marquetry objects, since most were lost or repurposed in the succeeding years following the dynasty’s defeat in 897 AH/1492 CE.