A KHORASSAN SILVER AND COPPER INLAID BRONZE VESSEL

NORTH EAST PERSIA, LATE 12TH CENTURY

Details

A KHORASSAN SILVER AND COPPER INLAID BRONZE VESSEL
NORTH EAST PERSIA, LATE 12TH CENTURY
With low spreading body and cylindrical mouth on short foot, the underside of the foot with a large repoussé rosette, an attachment ring at the mouth, the lobed cover rising to a central bird finial, the body with a band of roundels containing arabesques linked by continuous knot motifs, rosettes above with alternating silver and copper petals, linked above by an arcaded band of kufic benedictory inscriptions, a band of naskh similar inscriptions around the neck, the cover with arabesque crescent panels alternating on the lobes with rosette and arabesque combinations, areas of oxidation, slight restoration of decoration
8¼in. (21cm.) high

Lot Essay

The inscriptions around the shoulder read: b'il-yumn w'al-baraka w'al-dawla w'al al-sa'ada w'al-tamma w'al-dawama w'al-...... w'al-baraka w'al-......... ......... (with good fortune, blessing, wealth, happiness, completeness, perpetual ........, blessing,........ and .......)
The naskh around the neck reads: al-'izz w'al-iqbal w'al-dawla w'al-sa'ada w'al ...... baqa .. w'al-...... w'al-baqa da'ima li-sahibihi (glory, prosperity, wealth, happiness, ....., longevity, ........., and perpetual longevity to the owner)

There appears to be no published parallel for a vessel of this unusual shape. The inscriptions are unfortunately purely benedictory and so give no clue about the proposed use. It appears never to have had a handle, and there is no visible trace of another ring in the neck the opposite side from the existing one, although the decoration has a similar gap there.

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