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Lot Essay
The inscription contains parts of a well-known Arabic benedictory quatrain.
It is most unusual to find a gilt copper bowl from this period. Yet despite the fact that there is thick tinning visible on the underside of the bowl, there is no trace at all on the sides, and the decoration is wonderfully crisp, indicating that very little could have rubbed off. The indications are thus that the gilding is original, demonstrating a probable precursor of the tombak technique which became so popular in the Ottoman period. An unpublished silvered copper bowl is in the Khalili Collection, which not only has every indication of being the original surface, but it also has an inscription referring to the wonderful whiteness of the vessel. This further supports the suggestion of a small rare group of copper vessels plated wth precious metals.
It is most unusual to find a gilt copper bowl from this period. Yet despite the fact that there is thick tinning visible on the underside of the bowl, there is no trace at all on the sides, and the decoration is wonderfully crisp, indicating that very little could have rubbed off. The indications are thus that the gilding is original, demonstrating a probable precursor of the tombak technique which became so popular in the Ottoman period. An unpublished silvered copper bowl is in the Khalili Collection, which not only has every indication of being the original surface, but it also has an inscription referring to the wonderful whiteness of the vessel. This further supports the suggestion of a small rare group of copper vessels plated wth precious metals.