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The sale is for an early to mid-19th century Syrian mother-of-pearl inlaid X-form folding rocking armchair with all over floral and foliate Sedef inlay, and a shaped crest extending to a slatted and curved X-form support and with closely slatted seat. Damascus work, which made its appearance in that city during the Ottoman era, makes use of inlay. Here only one side of the thick white mother of pearl known in Turkish as tas sedef, which comes from the pearl oyster, is smoothed and polished, the rough underside of the shaped pieces being laid into the wood. Wire stringing 1 mm square in section made from an alloy of lead and tin is hammered into place around the mother of pearl. There is also much thin scrolled metal inlay. The back piece (which is held in place by a wooden knob) lifts off and the chair folds together.