MOSUL, 13TH CENTURY

There appears to be no comparable published inlaid archer's ring of the mediaeval period. The style of the engraving enables it to be attributed to Mesopotamia; the technique of inlaying some of the details while leaving others engraved so that in the original they would just have been black composition outlines in the golden coloured metal is very similar to that found on the vase offered as lot 267 in this sale. The scrollwork is also very close to that found on Syrian or Mesopotamian metal vessels, such as the large ewer in the Freer Gallery (Atil, Esin, Chase, W.T. and Jett, Paul: Islamic Metalwork in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1985, no.16, pp.117-123) or the candlestick in the Nuhad es-Said Collection (Allan, James W.: Islamic Metalwork in the Nuhad es-Said Collection, London, 1982, no.7, pp.58-61).
This archer's ring was obviously a favourite personal posession of Rashid al-Din Muhammad. His name is given on the shank without any of the titles normally associated with such inscriptions. Even in the space available, it would have been possible to include one or two. The name indicates that the patron was most probably of Persian origin, Rashid al-Din being a very popular name in Ilkhanid Persia. It has obviously been very extensively used. One side of the flange completely worn away while the other retains its original profile. The base is also bent back where it pushes against the thumb when the string of the bow is being drawn. The owner was certainly very fond of archery!