Lot Essay
The virtual pair to this bracelet, also with separated terminals, is in the National Museum of Syria (Michail Piotrovsky and John Vrieze (gen.eds.): Earthly Beauty, Heavenly Art, Amsterdam, 1999, no.269, p.273).
The fine granulated work forming scrolling designs found on the triangular terminals of this bracelet is typical of Fatimid work, more normally found on rings and smaller items. The form of this bracelet is also known from a number of other examples attributed to Fatimid Egypt or Syria (Jenkins, Marilyn: Islamic Art in the Kuwait National Museum, the al-Sabah Collection, London, 1982, p.65; Hasson, Rachel: Early Islamic Jewellery, Jerusalem, 1987, nos.72-75, pp.64-67). Even the pronounced large beads at the apex of each triangular terminal can be found on three of the four examples published by Hasson.
The fine granulated work forming scrolling designs found on the triangular terminals of this bracelet is typical of Fatimid work, more normally found on rings and smaller items. The form of this bracelet is also known from a number of other examples attributed to Fatimid Egypt or Syria (Jenkins, Marilyn: Islamic Art in the Kuwait National Museum, the al-Sabah Collection, London, 1982, p.65; Hasson, Rachel: Early Islamic Jewellery, Jerusalem, 1987, nos.72-75, pp.64-67). Even the pronounced large beads at the apex of each triangular terminal can be found on three of the four examples published by Hasson.