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Lot Essay
The technique seen in the present lamp relates closely to that of a lamp in the David Collection, Copenhagen (Folsach, Kjeld v.: Art from the World of Islam in the David Collection, Copenhagen, 2001, no.459, p.298 among many other publications). A second more fragmentary example is in Chicago (Pope, Arthur Upham: A Survey of Persian Art, London, 1938, pl.1276A). Opinions have been varied as to the origin of the two, with most authorities preferring Iran or Mesopotamia, although Syria and even Arabia have been proposed. (Baer, Eva: Metalwork in Medieval Islamic Art, New York, 1983, pp.35-38.)
All three vessels share a ground of fish-scale pattern piercing, the holes originally being drilled and then with the lower parts rounded. All also have three large inverted drop-shaped panels for the attachment of handles (which still remain on the David Collection piece). The kufic of the Chicago lamp is less ornamented than that of either the Copenahgen one or the present example, both of which have occasional scrolling leafy terminals on the lettering, which leads Eva Baer to suggest a slightly later dating, fully into the tenth century.
All three vessels share a ground of fish-scale pattern piercing, the holes originally being drilled and then with the lower parts rounded. All also have three large inverted drop-shaped panels for the attachment of handles (which still remain on the David Collection piece). The kufic of the Chicago lamp is less ornamented than that of either the Copenahgen one or the present example, both of which have occasional scrolling leafy terminals on the lettering, which leads Eva Baer to suggest a slightly later dating, fully into the tenth century.