A Little Mystery

I have grown up with a very unusal picture on the wall of my parents' house. I loved it, because if was the only thing that was not boring to look at, and I always wondered why it didn't end up in the attic or garage, because it was so much not the sort of piece my parents would have chosen themselves. I know a little about its history: It belonged to my maternal great-grandfather, who travelled a lot (very unusual at the time) in the East during the mid and late 19th century. The centre panel (15 x 24 cm) is painted, and the frame (31 x 41 cm) has the most beautiful wood and ivory inlay (and not a single tiny piece missing).

I have no idea where exactly my great-grandfather got it, and I also do not know how it ended up with my mother. My grandparents lived in Eastern Germany and my mother had moved to West Germany. It was not permitted at the time to take something like this panel out of East Germany. But even more intrigueing is the inscription. I presume it's in Arabic, but what does it mean? Can anybody help to solve the mystery.

I also have another unusual item that belonged to my great-grandfather. My mother wanted to throw it away because she never liked it. I grabbed it and it has been loved and treasured for nearly 20 years now in my house. Again, I know hardly anything about it. I have been told that it is a stand for a koran. The carving and beadwork is stunning. Again, if anybody can shed any light on what exactly this is, what the inscription means, or where it may have originally come from, please, let me know.

Lorchen