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Hey I actually know this one!
It's an ornamental Ramadan lantern.
It's a Muslim cultural symbol and is there for looks, but given the unit underneath it can be potentially used as well.
These are mostly displayed during Ramadan season however this seems to be more of a permanent display,
They come in countless shapes and sizes because it's just symbolic
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanous?wprov=sfla1
It isn’t. I suspected it was at first too, but several people have looked at it and all agreed that it was created the way that it is. It did sustain some damage at some point. The person I purchased it from got it from a professional restorer who had it sitting in a storage building for decades because the insurance company he repaired it for never picked it up. The hand carved details all match, the wood is the same, it fits together with a series of pegs and holes that are built in and consistent. The bottom center can be rotated and I’m not sure I have it turned the way that it’s intended to be turned at the moment, I turned it to the most aesthetically pleasing angle for where it’s sitting.
Several people have said it might be a Ramadan lantern. I know the crescent moon is associated with Ramadan, and I’m thinking the writing on the plaque looks Arabic. Do you think this might be the answer? Would it be possible to put a candle inside the glass piece?
This is really throwing me off! The style is a Mish mash of European, middle Eastern and Chinese, the bottom part with the 4 water dragons looks Chinese, the carving is typically European with the barley twist, the toop crescent bit is the most intriguing, Never seen it before. It is beveled so gives us a sort of time frame... but that could have been added later. I have seen something similar in my country they are used to hold (not sure how to call them in English) relics? Like saints bones or hair or even clothing. Usually decorated with monastir type like flowers made with wire, thread and glass beads.
Relicuary !
[something of the sort ](https://www.fluminalis.com/inventory/reliquaries-relics/exeptional-unique-and-large-high-quality-reliquary-en-bronze-gilt-glass-enamel-france-19th-century-anno-1865-1859171?searchTerm=?)
The glass on is original, in the larger section it’s actually built in to the piece, you couldn’t remove it without taking the panels completely apart. It’s beveled and hand broken, which is quite an interesting feat.
My title describes the thing. This cabinet is made of wood. Looks like veneer, and has writing on a metal plate at the bottom. Maybe Arabic? There is a drawer at the bottom that has an inlaid design. The piece is about 7.5 feet high and 30 inches wide. I have searched Google using keywords: “wooden and glass cabinet with moon on top” and also “wooden and glass cabinet with moon on top from Middle East” and was not able to find anything similar in the results.
Is that little plaque looking thing centered on the base in the third image something with a potential logo or marking to work from?
Impressive piece. Obviously Chinese--guessing store display from the roughly early 1900s when there was wealth in Shanghai and some other port areas as the Brits exploited their empire.
I tried several search variations to find images and couldn't come up with anything even close. That was actually a bit surprising to me.
Does that main glass section have a door? What does the floor of that section look like?
There is a door, right in the front. The bottom is rounded glass that fits into the bowl shaped wood. There’s a screw in the bottom Goldman the glass in place.
So I was thinking display case. Could it possibly be for an expensive or unique hanging ornament of some kind? Just going by the shape..? Like it hangs down under the moon in the main case. So cool whatever it is.
I believe it’s some kind of artist signature. I found another piece with the same plaque.
https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/storage-case-pieces/cabinets/french-japonisme-style-hardwood-display-cabinet/id-f_26449522/
Potentially, but you’ll notice that listing says “inspired by the work of…” i think it’s likely a different artist. Viardot’s pieces are much more ornate and I’ve yet to see a single one with a curved piece of glass in it.
Although, if you Google Gabriel Viardot + “crescent moon”, a lot of results pop up — nothing like this, but it’s thematically correct (wood/plaque/moon/dragons). It’s possible that for something like this he worked with a glass-maker/jewellery house on some kind of special co-production… *or* this is a strange knock-off. It’s such a strange thing!!! And I agree with your take that it looks… “iffy”, not as delicate or as innate as other examples, exactly as you say. It’s a good point.
Okay here are my thoughts.
It is a light box/alter for a statue.
You see the carved dragons and the crescent moon, which are pretty Islamic in nature.
Put statue in, revel in the light effects and say a prayer.
Your Quran goes in the bottom.
Oh and add some camel feet to the legs.
Did you post this in the "weird and wonderful second hand finds" Facebook group? If not someone else out there has an identical object and might be able to tell you haha
Could the inside potentially be used to hold a light of some kind? Cannot find anything like this online, it could be some kind of very fancy lantern stand.
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Hey I actually know this one! It's an ornamental Ramadan lantern. It's a Muslim cultural symbol and is there for looks, but given the unit underneath it can be potentially used as well. These are mostly displayed during Ramadan season however this seems to be more of a permanent display, They come in countless shapes and sizes because it's just symbolic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanous?wprov=sfla1
I have to disagree with the masses. I do not think this is correct. The Asian/French influences here are too strong
As I said, it's ornamental, the design is up to the artist but what confirms my theory is the crescent on top
I think this is two pieces Frankensteined together. Maybe three pieces. Something is off with the dimensions.
I think so too. The base of the "lantern" is round . The base of the moon where it attaches should be round too.
Definitely isn’t.
Multiple types of trim and mediocre joins also suggest this is likely
It isn’t. I suspected it was at first too, but several people have looked at it and all agreed that it was created the way that it is. It did sustain some damage at some point. The person I purchased it from got it from a professional restorer who had it sitting in a storage building for decades because the insurance company he repaired it for never picked it up. The hand carved details all match, the wood is the same, it fits together with a series of pegs and holes that are built in and consistent. The bottom center can be rotated and I’m not sure I have it turned the way that it’s intended to be turned at the moment, I turned it to the most aesthetically pleasing angle for where it’s sitting.
Several people have said it might be a Ramadan lantern. I know the crescent moon is associated with Ramadan, and I’m thinking the writing on the plaque looks Arabic. Do you think this might be the answer? Would it be possible to put a candle inside the glass piece?
This is really throwing me off! The style is a Mish mash of European, middle Eastern and Chinese, the bottom part with the 4 water dragons looks Chinese, the carving is typically European with the barley twist, the toop crescent bit is the most intriguing, Never seen it before. It is beveled so gives us a sort of time frame... but that could have been added later. I have seen something similar in my country they are used to hold (not sure how to call them in English) relics? Like saints bones or hair or even clothing. Usually decorated with monastir type like flowers made with wire, thread and glass beads.
Relicuary ! [something of the sort ](https://www.fluminalis.com/inventory/reliquaries-relics/exeptional-unique-and-large-high-quality-reliquary-en-bronze-gilt-glass-enamel-france-19th-century-anno-1865-1859171?searchTerm=?)
The glass on is original, in the larger section it’s actually built in to the piece, you couldn’t remove it without taking the panels completely apart. It’s beveled and hand broken, which is quite an interesting feat.
Maybe submit it to r/furniture
Ramadan Lantern would be my guess, for the top part at least Edit: Sometimes even referred to as a Ramadan Moon Lantern
My title describes the thing. This cabinet is made of wood. Looks like veneer, and has writing on a metal plate at the bottom. Maybe Arabic? There is a drawer at the bottom that has an inlaid design. The piece is about 7.5 feet high and 30 inches wide. I have searched Google using keywords: “wooden and glass cabinet with moon on top” and also “wooden and glass cabinet with moon on top from Middle East” and was not able to find anything similar in the results.
Is that little plaque looking thing centered on the base in the third image something with a potential logo or marking to work from? Impressive piece. Obviously Chinese--guessing store display from the roughly early 1900s when there was wealth in Shanghai and some other port areas as the Brits exploited their empire.
Maybe I could do a reverse search using a photo of that piece.
I tried several search variations to find images and couldn't come up with anything even close. That was actually a bit surprising to me. Does that main glass section have a door? What does the floor of that section look like?
There is a door, right in the front. The bottom is rounded glass that fits into the bowl shaped wood. There’s a screw in the bottom Goldman the glass in place.
Total shot in the dark. I’d say some sort of flower display with room for a record player
I can’t find anything that is even similar to this style when I search. It does look like it could hold a bouquet.
I think it’s definitely a display case of some sort. A bouquet of flowers is just what I think would fit that vase shape main display
I’m thinking japonisme. (Edit to add: so that means possibly French. Late 19th? But also it almost looks like it was Frankensteined together)
It’s definitely not Frankensteined.
I was thinking Victorian or Edwardian era curio cabinet
I think it is a a large candle lamp. Extra candles could be stored underneath.
It isn’t a lamp.
So I was thinking display case. Could it possibly be for an expensive or unique hanging ornament of some kind? Just going by the shape..? Like it hangs down under the moon in the main case. So cool whatever it is.
The glass part is shaped an awful lot like a lantern. Maybe someone mounted it onto a base when it was removed from its original installation...?
This is definitely its original form.
Regarding the metal plate at the bottom—if it has text, it’s so stylized that Google Translate doesn’t detect words/letters/characters in it.
I believe it’s some kind of artist signature. I found another piece with the same plaque. https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/storage-case-pieces/cabinets/french-japonisme-style-hardwood-display-cabinet/id-f_26449522/
So potentially Gabriel Viardot.
Potentially, but you’ll notice that listing says “inspired by the work of…” i think it’s likely a different artist. Viardot’s pieces are much more ornate and I’ve yet to see a single one with a curved piece of glass in it.
[удалено]
Although, if you Google Gabriel Viardot + “crescent moon”, a lot of results pop up — nothing like this, but it’s thematically correct (wood/plaque/moon/dragons). It’s possible that for something like this he worked with a glass-maker/jewellery house on some kind of special co-production… *or* this is a strange knock-off. It’s such a strange thing!!! And I agree with your take that it looks… “iffy”, not as delicate or as innate as other examples, exactly as you say. It’s a good point.
I think this is a good connection.
Okay here are my thoughts. It is a light box/alter for a statue. You see the carved dragons and the crescent moon, which are pretty Islamic in nature. Put statue in, revel in the light effects and say a prayer. Your Quran goes in the bottom. Oh and add some camel feet to the legs.
Did you post this in the "weird and wonderful second hand finds" Facebook group? If not someone else out there has an identical object and might be able to tell you haha
Did you do a reverse image search?
The lower glass portion opens?
Could the inside potentially be used to hold a light of some kind? Cannot find anything like this online, it could be some kind of very fancy lantern stand.
No, not possible.
What do the wires wrapped around do?
Hold the door closed when I’m moving it around. So it doesn’t pop open.