Day 167 - Damascus reception room
July 12, 2019
Gallery 461 is something of a hidden treasure: the reception room of a large house in Damascus built in 1707. In its size (perhaps 30' X 50' in area and 30 ' high) and its luxurious appointments, it epitomizes wealth and taste. Unfortunately, a low glass gate at the entrance makes it impossible to enter and inspect paticular objects closely. But here, the whole is certainly greater than its parts.
At the front of the space is what I assume was a small courtyard. It consists of a mable floor inlaid with geometric designs - rectangles, triangles, semi-circles, rhombuses, squares, and six-pointed stars - at the center of which is a low fountain, also of marble, that emits a soothing gurgling sound. (Is this the actual sound of the water, I wonder, or a recording?) The floor of the room proper is a raised platform made of wood with marble inlays that form nine large squares, within which are smaller squares further inlaid with gometic designs. At the base of the soaring walls of a reddish wood, low red divans line three of the room's sides. At the front of the room are three cabinets displaying large books with gilded bindings, along with beautiful ceramics. The ceramics resemble Turkish examples, but I've read that Syrian ceramists, while influenced by Iznik potters, did not use red glazes; all the examples here are blue and white, so I assume they are Syrian in origin. Along one of the long walls are what appear to be built-in cabinets with doors inlaid with metal; an open cabinet, lined with marble and tilework, displays a large brass ewer and bowl. The four windows on the opposite side let in a soft light. Above the wood paneling of the walls is a register of plaster wall into which rectangular and circular stained glass windows are set. The room is topped by an elaborate wooden ceiling.
It's well into the 80s today, and I would bet that in Damascus, it often gets much hotter. This room must have offered a cool refuge to those visiting the house (not to mention impressing them no end). I imagine that carpets were laid down in the winter to warm up the space visually and in fact.
In another museum, this room would be a focal point; here, it is a lovely, off-the-beaten-track space for those fortunate enough to discover it. The lack of access, while understandable, feels unfortunate. It's a space that invites lingering and contemplation.
At the front of the space is what I assume was a small courtyard. It consists of a mable floor inlaid with geometric designs - rectangles, triangles, semi-circles, rhombuses, squares, and six-pointed stars - at the center of which is a low fountain, also of marble, that emits a soothing gurgling sound. (Is this the actual sound of the water, I wonder, or a recording?) The floor of the room proper is a raised platform made of wood with marble inlays that form nine large squares, within which are smaller squares further inlaid with gometic designs. At the base of the soaring walls of a reddish wood, low red divans line three of the room's sides. At the front of the room are three cabinets displaying large books with gilded bindings, along with beautiful ceramics. The ceramics resemble Turkish examples, but I've read that Syrian ceramists, while influenced by Iznik potters, did not use red glazes; all the examples here are blue and white, so I assume they are Syrian in origin. Along one of the long walls are what appear to be built-in cabinets with doors inlaid with metal; an open cabinet, lined with marble and tilework, displays a large brass ewer and bowl. The four windows on the opposite side let in a soft light. Above the wood paneling of the walls is a register of plaster wall into which rectangular and circular stained glass windows are set. The room is topped by an elaborate wooden ceiling.
It's well into the 80s today, and I would bet that in Damascus, it often gets much hotter. This room must have offered a cool refuge to those visiting the house (not to mention impressing them no end). I imagine that carpets were laid down in the winter to warm up the space visually and in fact.
In another museum, this room would be a focal point; here, it is a lovely, off-the-beaten-track space for those fortunate enough to discover it. The lack of access, while understandable, feels unfortunate. It's a space that invites lingering and contemplation.
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