1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Many years ago, on a stroll through Cairo, I was inspired to try carving muqarnas onto a tasbih as I gazed up at an intricate minaret. Recently I managed to try it, and did so using an Ottoman style found in the beautiful mosques of Istanbul. The tasbih itself is made from mammoth tusk discovered in the wake of receding Siberian permafrost, where it may have lied buried in ice for up to a hundred thousand years. I developed the design with inspiration from the marble-carved details adorning the beautiful mosques of Mihrimah Sultan and Yeni Valide, neighboring my Istanbul workshop. I did all of the carving and engraving using traditional hand-held gravers, which alone can achieve the intricacy and sharpness required for this design. Let me know what you think of this piece or if you would like to collaborate on a similar piece.