PROBABLY SICILY, 12TH CENTURY AND LATER

The rectangular shape of our casket finds its origins in Spanish prototypes such as an ivory casket in the Bargello, datable to late 10th century Spain (The Arts of Islam, exhibition catalogue, London, 1976, p. 152, cat. 148). A Sicilian ivory casket with four dials on the front side, now in the treasury of Sint Servaas in Maastricht, is dated circa 1100. Although of a different shape, flatter and with round borders, it gives an interesting indication for the early date of such devices (Francis Madison, op. cit., p. 157, fig. 10). The decoration of our casket, with its finely engraved stripes with trefoils, can also be compared to that found on another Sicilian casket in Doha, dating circa 1100 (Metalwork Treasures, Doha, 2002, p. 50, cat. 12). For a much more detailed discussion of combination caskets please see the note to lot 16 in this sale.