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Sep 294 min read

Silver Tyger for Syrine Al-Sakina Bint Houriya



I have often marveled at the fact that scribes in the SCA can create pieces of art from diverse cultures and time periods. Historical masters studied and created masterpieces which were from a particular time/art movement, and culture. In contrast, in our organization, we have artists creating pieces from early Greek, Romanesque, throughout the Renaissance. In addition, we cover cultures across the globe.


Last year, I dipped my artistic toe into the Mamluk period. I made the following scroll for Rafi Al-Qasid.


This year, I was asked to create a Silver Tyger scroll for Syrine Al-Sakina Bint Houriya. I did some sleuthing on her East Kingdom Wiki and learned that Syrine is a Turkish warrior from the 14th century. I have long admired Syrine for her beautiful illumination and calligraphy.


Although I love the Mamluk manual on horsemanship, which is the source for Rafi's scroll, I wanted to do something with an elaborate border.


The Mamluk period was prosperous for the dynasty in Egypt and Syria. Due to stability in the region and trade with other parts of the Islamic world, especially in silk and spices, cultural patronage flourished. Also, due to a focus on religious strength, the production of Qur'an manuscripts blossomed.


After much searching online, I purchased and read Geometry in Gold an Illuminated Mamluk Qur'an Section, by Marcus Fraser, to better understand the art style. This book is a study of the final volume of a Qur'an, believed to have been the work of Muhannad ibn Mubadir. (Juz' 30). The manuscript has been dated to the second quarter of the 14th Century.


A distinguishing feature of Mamluk Qur'ans is enhancement of the Islamic geometric and vegetal motifs, with dominant circle and star motifs and vibrancy of color. Many of the illustrations in the Juz' 30 are predominately gold, with scrolling vegetal forms, and including interstices colored with green, blue, and orange. A prominent vegetal form withing the illumination is a scrolling leaf form. The following tile is an excellent example:


After reading Geometry in Gold, I began online research to find a manuscript that embodied the significant elements of Juz' 30, and was produced around the same time as Syrine's persona. I stumbled across Al-Hariri, Maqamat ('Assemblies'), which was dated to 1344.




This manuscript included everything I was looking for - it was the correct time period, it was a repeating pattern that included a heavy gold border with scrolling vegetal forms, and it was made on paper, using ink, opaque watercolors, and gold.


Surprisingly, this style of painting took a lot longer than I expected. I was pleased, however, with the outcome.




I used pergamenata paper and gouache paints from Greenleaf & Blueberry and Holbein.


While at the Known World Heraldic and Scribal Symposium in June of 2024, I had the fortune to spend time with Mistress Kirsa Oyutai, who is also a friend of Syrine, and who is also a wordsmith. I wanted the words to be in French, and Kirsa provided the words in French, as well as in English for the translation:


Guerrière au fer de lance resplendissant, Sous le soleil du desert, la mort amenant. Dangeureuse tygresse, Son rugissement cause allégresse. Victoire étant assurée, De par toute son habileté. Syrine Al-Sakina Bint Houriya Fière devant trépas. Car un Tygre d'Argent son cou arborant. À Pennsic sur le champ de bataille, Sa prouesse reconnue sans faille.


Fighter with glimmering lance, Under the desert sun, bringing death. Dangerous Tyger, Her roar causing elation. Victory being assured, By all of her ability. Syrine Al-Sakina Bint Houriya Proud before demise. Because a Silver Tyger, At her neck bears. At Pennsic on the battlefield, Her prowess noticed without fail.


The calligraphy was a new challenge for me. Although I had learned a form of the hand when I made Rafi's scroll, I wanted to clean it up for Syrine's scroll.


A notable quality of Mamluk scrolls is that they are large, not only in the manuscript size itself, but the calligraphy is large and bold as well. As such, I asked that the wordsmith limit the words so I could properly size the letters and still have the words fit on the page.


I studied the calligraphy in the exemplar. I also reviewed the calligraphy that Syrine did on her scrolls. From this, I made my own ductus for a hand that while in French, appears to be an Islamic script. Once I was comfortable with the hand, I added the calligraphy to the scroll.



I greatly enjoyed making this scroll. I will happily make more Mamluk scrolls in the future.


References


Fraser, Marcus Fraser (2005)Geometry in Gold an Illuminated Mamluk Qur'an Section


Yalman, Suzan. “The Art of the Mamluk Period (1250–1517).” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/maml/hd_maml.htm (October 2001)


Theresa Zischkin "Al-Hariri, Maqamat ('Assemblies')" in Explore Islamic Art Collections. Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;at;Mus24;27;en




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