JBOC Notes: The "Eirene Arsenal" refers to the arsenal in the former Church of St. Irene, Istanbul. Saint Irene's also spelled Eirene is on the grounds of the Topkapi palace in Istanbul. After the conquest of Mamluk Egypt many arms as well as armor were stored there.

Armor is usually outside of my area of focus but this one is special. The reference to these being produced in Shirvan for the Mamluks struck me as significant in the period from 1400 to 1600 AD. This takes in the Turkmen era into the early Safavid period. There is a tendency to write Shirvan off as a provincial backwater in all periods because it was so in the Russian period. This example shows a high level of sophistication commiserate with an important center of art, technology, and trade. This demonstrates my belief that Shirvan was not a provincial backwater in the period from 1400 to 1600 AD.

"After the conquest of Istanbul by Sultan Mehmed II (1432-1481) in 1453, the Saint Irene Church was turned into armory, the historical building was restored by Sultan Ahmed III (1673-1736) and the arms were arranged in regular manner in 1726. In doing so, it laid the foundation for the Military Museum. After the regulations made by Sultan Ahmed III, an inscription written as “Daru’l Esliha” (Ammunition), which was put on the entrance door of the building and it was looted by the Cebecis (armourers) during the deposition of the Sultan Selim III (1789-1807) in 1807. After the abolition of the Janssary Corps (Yeniçeri Ocagi), many historical items from the Museum’s holdings belonging to the Janissaries were demolished in the unrest. After all these events, the building gradually lost its previous significance over time and it was turned into storage of military affairs and started using as an armory later." The Military Museum

• Mamluk Sword in the style of the Blessed Sword of the Prophet Mohammed
• Mamluk Fountain 15th Century
• Mamluk Knee-Guard of the Eirene Arsenal
• Mamluk Gilded and Enameled Finger Bowl ex Rothschild
• Mamluk Pottery Albarello Damascus Syria Early 15th
• Mamluk blue and white Armorial Albarello Damascus Early 15th
• Mamluk blue and white Armorial Albarello Damascus Syria Early 15th
• Mamluk Raqqa Pottery Jar Ayyubid Syria Early 15th
• Mamluk Art: The Minbar of the Karkuk Mosque, Cairo
• Egyptian and Syrian Tile in the University Museum Philadelphia
• A Rare Syria or Mamluk Egypt ivory inlaid micro mosaic decorated games board
• Mamluk Egypt or Ayyubid Syria Purple Marvered Glass 12th-13th C. LOT 118
• Mamluk Carpet Cairo Egypt, Sixteenth Century
• A 16th century Mamluk carpet, lot 220
• Hispano-Moresque Pottery
• Almohad Green Glazed Alhambra Vase
• The Alhambra Vase