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Lot Essay
The shape of this remarkable bowl with its lobes and elongated oval form clearly derives from that of a group of Sassanian and port-Sassanian silver bowls whose shape is more exaggerated, such as one in the Hermitage Museum dateable to the 8th century that was found with two Byzantine and one Soghdian dish (L'Asie des steppes d'Alexandre le grand à Gengis Khan, exhibition catalogue, Paris, 2000, no.32, p.66). But while there is one very clear Sassanian-style palmette in one panel, much of the decoration is from completely different sources.
The style of arabesques are closest to those found on precious metal vessels associated with the Golden Horde, such as a cup also in the Hermitage Museum (Linda Komaroff and Stefano Carboni (eds.), The Legacy of Genghis Khan, Courtly Art and Culture in Western Asia 1256-1353, New York, 2002, no.155, fig.197, pp.170 and 276-7; The Treasures of the Golden Horde, exhibition catalogue, Saint Petersburg, 2000, no.12, p.56). Not only is the drawing of the arabesques similar, but they are also on a very comparable irregularly pounced background. Further vessels associated with the Golden Horde have other technical features that link in with our bowl. A footed circular bowl with eight-lobed body uses similar groupings of tight parallel lines to form areas of shading and texture to those that are found here (Treasures of the Golden Horde, no.54, p.77). That bowl also introduces a few animals within the scrollwork. These are drawn out on a line drawing on p.168 where it can be seen that a couple of the animals, notably a quadruped rearing up and looking over its shoulder, are very close to those found here.
While the technique and the main elements of the design are similar to known precious metal vessels from the Golden Horde, what is compeltely different is the strength of drawing, the caricature, and the imagination shown in the depictions in this bowl. The formality of earlier such depictions (V. P. Darkevitch, Southern Metal Atrefacts 8th-13th century, Moscow, 1976, pl.12.2), has been reaplced by a vitality rarely seen in engraved silver, and more usually associated with the whims of a confident artist working in pen and ink. There is an extraordinary imagination at work here. One of the animals has a dragon's body including long serpentine neck, but on that is supported a bearded human face. Another animal at the side appears almost heraldic until one looks at the head which continues seamlessly into an extravagant scroll. Even one of the panels which appears at first just to be a vine interlace design has the vine issuing from human-headed flowers.
The style of arabesques are closest to those found on precious metal vessels associated with the Golden Horde, such as a cup also in the Hermitage Museum (Linda Komaroff and Stefano Carboni (eds.), The Legacy of Genghis Khan, Courtly Art and Culture in Western Asia 1256-1353, New York, 2002, no.155, fig.197, pp.170 and 276-7; The Treasures of the Golden Horde, exhibition catalogue, Saint Petersburg, 2000, no.12, p.56). Not only is the drawing of the arabesques similar, but they are also on a very comparable irregularly pounced background. Further vessels associated with the Golden Horde have other technical features that link in with our bowl. A footed circular bowl with eight-lobed body uses similar groupings of tight parallel lines to form areas of shading and texture to those that are found here (Treasures of the Golden Horde, no.54, p.77). That bowl also introduces a few animals within the scrollwork. These are drawn out on a line drawing on p.168 where it can be seen that a couple of the animals, notably a quadruped rearing up and looking over its shoulder, are very close to those found here.
While the technique and the main elements of the design are similar to known precious metal vessels from the Golden Horde, what is compeltely different is the strength of drawing, the caricature, and the imagination shown in the depictions in this bowl. The formality of earlier such depictions (V. P. Darkevitch, Southern Metal Atrefacts 8th-13th century, Moscow, 1976, pl.12.2), has been reaplced by a vitality rarely seen in engraved silver, and more usually associated with the whims of a confident artist working in pen and ink. There is an extraordinary imagination at work here. One of the animals has a dragon's body including long serpentine neck, but on that is supported a bearded human face. Another animal at the side appears almost heraldic until one looks at the head which continues seamlessly into an extravagant scroll. Even one of the panels which appears at first just to be a vine interlace design has the vine issuing from human-headed flowers.