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Original gypsum decorative panel with 'baithana' and 'rosetta' designs
19th-20th century
Object Name: Wall panel, shamsiya
Period: 19th-20th century
Date: 1800-1999
Provenance: Qatar
Dimensions: 39.5cm x 88cm x 6.5cm
Medium: gypsum
Registration Number: QNM.2012.814.1
Place Of Discovery/Findspot:  Doha
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This rectangular architectural panel is made from gypsum and was originally a decorative element in one of Doha’s traditional houses. It features carved geometric and floral designs which form a pattern known as Baithana Rosetta. This pattern includes a plant stem terminating at each end in a three-petaled flower, flanked by hexagonal flowers set within circles. This is repeated across the panel in symmetrical juxtaposition.

The pattern bears similarities to the 9th-century carved designs found at Samarra, Iraq, during their first stage in the Abbasid Period. It is believed this gypsum panel was constructed by a carver from Persia or India who had been inspired by the plants of his country.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT QATAR
The Qatar Peninsula is surrounded by sea except in the south where it connects with its neighbours from the Arabian Peninsula. For hundreds of years people have shared the land, resources and knowledge inherited from their environment. With no fixed lifestyle in terms of time and place, people moved easily and freely between land and sea for trade, livestock, pearl diving, fishing, and hunting at various times throughout the year. This symbiotic relationship between the people and their environment was represented in the unity of their societies, including the exchange of knowledge, stories and the trading of available goods.

A distinctive characteristic of life on the Qatar Peninsula has long been the close association between the coast and the desert – al barr. Some desert tribes spent several months of the year in coastal cities, setting up semi-permanent residences to participate in pearl diving or fishing. Similarly, coastal residents occasionally moved to al barr during the winter to graze their livestock. This exchange of natural resources and the influence of different environments has contributed to the creation of a unique community.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT - REGION/GULF/WORLD
The presence of British, French and Dutch trading companies in the Gulf from the early 1600s brought uncertainty to the region, with unstable alliances and intense competition over trade routes. As trade flourished, however, the strength of the Arab tribes increased. Many Arab tribes moved from the interior of the Arabian Peninsula to Qatar, and by the 18th and 19th centuries, most of the major towns of the Gulf were founded. Several towns flourished on the Qatari coast, including Huwailah, Khor Hassan, Fuwairat, Ruwaida, Freiha, Al Bidda and Doha. The most notable was Al Zubara which became a hub for the Gulf pearl trade.
PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH
ALKHOLAIFI, M. J., 2006, The Traditional Architecture in Qatar. Doha: National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage, Museums & Antiquities Dept.

Elsayed, Mohamed H. ( NMoQ report)
LOCATE ON QATAR MAP
Doha