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Lot Essay
The Nomikos candlestick is a fine example of a group of inlaid candlesticks of this shape and technique that were made in Damascus, Syria, between the mid-13th century and the early 15th century, several of which are in public collections (these include candlesticks in the al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait, 115M; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 29.26; Museum for Islamische Kunst, Berlin, B111; the Louvre, Paris, AA 101).
The earliest examples are decorated with figural designs typical of the Ayyubid period. The Nomikos candlestick belongs to a distinctive series within this group that was made for the Mamluk court between about 1320 and 1360. The candlesticks in this series are classic examples of Mamluk metalwork, most with magnificent thuluth inscriptions around the body and radial inscriptions in roundels. These would have been sumptuously inlaid with gold and silver. The inscriptions usually honour an anonymous amir of al-Nasir; only one other candlestick is inscribed to the sultan himself (Géza Fehérvári, Islamic Metalwork of the 8th to the 15th century in the Keir Collection, London, 1976, no 159 and fig. 6).
One of the candlesticks from this group is inscribed to a named amir, Sayf al-Din Turji al-Saqi al-Nasiri, cupbearer to al-Nasir Muhammad, and bears his cup blazon. Turji became an important Mamluk amir, leading the Hajj in 1319 and 1325 and was promoted to amir majlis. He died in 1331. The titles suggest a date early in the 1320s before his promotion.
The candlesticks continued to be made for courtiers of sons of al-Nasir Muhammad. A candlestick in the Toulouse Lautrec collection was dedicated to an amir of al-Malik al-Salih (Sultan Ismail 1342-5 or Sultan Salih 1351-54). Some of the group dedicated to an amir of al-Nasir could refer to al-Nasir Hasan (1347-51, 1354-61), rather than his father al-Nasir Muhammad.
Three late 14th to early 15th century candlesticks of this type were found in a shipwreck datable to c.1404 by coins from Syrian mints (The Israel Museum, From the Depths of the Sea, Jerusalem 1985 p.31). The ship contained a variety of copper wares that were being sent from Syria to Cairo to feed the mint during the economic crises, including metal shortages, of the late 14th and early 15th centuries. Two of the candlesticks were not yet decorated, the other had cast-in decoration and all three had bad casting faults, which explains why they were selected for recycling. These three excavated candlesticks confirm Syria, probably Damascus, as the location of the workshop producing these candlesticks. Although many of them were probably intended for members of the court in Cairo.
The Syrian candlesticks can be compared to the cast candlesticks made in Cairo during the 14th and 15th centuries. These are a similar size and also have spiralling grooves in the neck to screw in a taller support when required but are made in a completely different way.
We are grateful to Rachel Ward for her help in preparing this essay.
The earliest examples are decorated with figural designs typical of the Ayyubid period. The Nomikos candlestick belongs to a distinctive series within this group that was made for the Mamluk court between about 1320 and 1360. The candlesticks in this series are classic examples of Mamluk metalwork, most with magnificent thuluth inscriptions around the body and radial inscriptions in roundels. These would have been sumptuously inlaid with gold and silver. The inscriptions usually honour an anonymous amir of al-Nasir; only one other candlestick is inscribed to the sultan himself (Géza Fehérvári, Islamic Metalwork of the 8th to the 15th century in the Keir Collection, London, 1976, no 159 and fig. 6).
One of the candlesticks from this group is inscribed to a named amir, Sayf al-Din Turji al-Saqi al-Nasiri, cupbearer to al-Nasir Muhammad, and bears his cup blazon. Turji became an important Mamluk amir, leading the Hajj in 1319 and 1325 and was promoted to amir majlis. He died in 1331. The titles suggest a date early in the 1320s before his promotion.
The candlesticks continued to be made for courtiers of sons of al-Nasir Muhammad. A candlestick in the Toulouse Lautrec collection was dedicated to an amir of al-Malik al-Salih (Sultan Ismail 1342-5 or Sultan Salih 1351-54). Some of the group dedicated to an amir of al-Nasir could refer to al-Nasir Hasan (1347-51, 1354-61), rather than his father al-Nasir Muhammad.
Three late 14th to early 15th century candlesticks of this type were found in a shipwreck datable to c.1404 by coins from Syrian mints (The Israel Museum, From the Depths of the Sea, Jerusalem 1985 p.31). The ship contained a variety of copper wares that were being sent from Syria to Cairo to feed the mint during the economic crises, including metal shortages, of the late 14th and early 15th centuries. Two of the candlesticks were not yet decorated, the other had cast-in decoration and all three had bad casting faults, which explains why they were selected for recycling. These three excavated candlesticks confirm Syria, probably Damascus, as the location of the workshop producing these candlesticks. Although many of them were probably intended for members of the court in Cairo.
The Syrian candlesticks can be compared to the cast candlesticks made in Cairo during the 14th and 15th centuries. These are a similar size and also have spiralling grooves in the neck to screw in a taller support when required but are made in a completely different way.
We are grateful to Rachel Ward for her help in preparing this essay.