NORTH WEST IRAN, EARLY 14TH CENTURY

Details

A SILVER AND GOLD INLAID WINDOW GRILLE BOSS
North West Iran, early 14th century
Of spherical form with raised tubular sockets above, below and at each side, each face inlaid with radiating segments of silver interlaced arabesques alternating with gold diaper pattern, the shoulders with similar silver inlaid designs, plaited bands around each socket, three sockets incomplete, dented, some loss of inlay
5 5/8in. (14.3cm.) high

Literature

Allan, James: Metalwork of the Islamic World, the Aron Collection, London, 1986, no.34, pp.130-131.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Lot Essay

In his catalogue entry for this piece Dr. James Allan demonstrates its similarity in both form and decoration to that of three bosses formerly in the Harari Collection and now in the Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo (Pope, Arthur Upham: A Survey of Persian Art, pl.1357A and p.2505). All have the sockets cast integrally in one piece with the ball, in which respect they differ from all other known ball joints. They also have close similarities shown by the surface decoration. The Harari pieces are inscribed in the name of the Ilkhanid Sultan Muhammad Khudabanda Uljeitu (1304-1317) whose summer capital was Sultaniyya, enabling the present boss to be dated and attributed with confidence to North West Iran of the early 14th century.

More from Islamic Art and Manuscripts

View All