Lot Essay
A very similar piece belongs to the Khalili Collection (Alexander, D., The Arts of War, Arms and Armour of the 7th to the 19th Centuries, Vol. XXI, The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, Nour Foundation, London, 1992, p. 30, no. 3 and joining illustration). Another pair of buckles similar to ours and the one in the Khalili Collection, found near Terekhovo in Tubolsk region, Siberia and now in the Hermitage, St. Petersburg is quoted by Alexander (op. cit.).
Buckles like these were mounted on leather belts. The suspension rings were for attachments. The shape and decoration of these buckles may indicate an Ilkhanid date. The cusped arches for example can be found as a decorative feature on Ilkhanid tile panels or Sultanabad wares. Furthermore the naturalistic presentation of the two dear amidst floral background is reminiscent of Ilkhanid miniature painting, such as in the Manafi al-Hayawan in the Pierpont Morgan Library.
Buckles like these were mounted on leather belts. The suspension rings were for attachments. The shape and decoration of these buckles may indicate an Ilkhanid date. The cusped arches for example can be found as a decorative feature on Ilkhanid tile panels or Sultanabad wares. Furthermore the naturalistic presentation of the two dear amidst floral background is reminiscent of Ilkhanid miniature painting, such as in the Manafi al-Hayawan in the Pierpont Morgan Library.