A FINE KHORASSAN SILVER AND COPPER INLAID BRASS TRAY of rectangular form with sunken central elongated octagonal panel, the centre inlaid with an extremely complex interlace roundel flanked by scrolling vine around kufic inscription curved panels, the sloping sides with knotted panels alternating with crescent and arabesque roundels, the spandrels with arabesque interlace within copper outlines, the rim with panels of scrolling vine around naskh honourific inscriptions alternating with crescent roundels, 13th century (side walls with damages, minute losses to inlay, areas of slight encrustation)

Details

A FINE KHORASSAN SILVER AND COPPER INLAID BRASS TRAY of rectangular form with sunken central elongated octagonal panel, the centre inlaid with an extremely complex interlace roundel flanked by scrolling vine around kufic inscription curved panels, the sloping sides with knotted panels alternating with crescent and arabesque roundels, the spandrels with arabesque interlace within copper outlines, the rim with panels of scrolling vine around naskh honourific inscriptions alternating with crescent roundels, 13th century (side walls with damages, minute losses to inlay, areas of slight encrustation)
11 7/8 x 7¼in. (30.2 x 18.4cm.)

Lot Essay

The decoration on this tray is of unusually fine quality for the group, with silver in a remarkable state of preservation. The central roundel with its very fine interlace is similar to one found on the base of an inkwell in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Baer, pp.199-209, esp.pl.9)

Baer,E.: 'An Islamic Inkwell in the Metropolitan Museum of Art', in Islamic Art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 1972

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