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拍品專文
Inscription:
Around the neck, al-'izz wa al-nasr wa al-iqbal [wa] al-ni'am wa al-, Glory and victory and prosperity and grace and-
Around the body, al-'izz wa al-nasr wa al-iqbal [wa] al-ni'am wa al-jud wa al-majd wa al-ifdal [wa] al-karam [wa] al-'ilm, Glory and victory and prosperity and grace and generosity and splendour and liberality and knowledge
This magnificent ewer from Western Iran is similar in overall form to those produced in Mosul in the preceding century. One notable example is the ewer dated 1226 AD and made by Ahmad al-Dhaki al-Mawsili, in the Cleveland Museum of Art (inv.no. 1956.11). Another is a signed ewer in the Walters Art Museum by Yunus ibn Yusuf, known as 'al-naqqash al-Mawsili' dating to AH 644/1246-1247 AD (inv. no. 54.456).
Our ewer, although bearing some resemblances to Mosul models, displays more pronounced features that foreshadow the flaring mouth seen in later Mamluk ewers, such as the one crafted for Fatima, Sultan Qaitbay's wife, now, for instance, in the Victoria & Albert Museum (inv.no.762-1900). The similarities to Mamluk ewers can be attributed to the documented migration of craftsmen from Mosul to the Mamluk Empire, as discussed by Julian Raby in "The Principle of Parsimony" (Venetia Porter and Miriam Rosser-Owen, (eds.), Metalwork and Material Culture in the Islamic World, Art Craft and Text, London, 2012, especially Table 1.3, p.68).
One noteworthy vessel that underscores this connection is the silver-inlaid ewer crafted for Ayyubid Sultan Salah-al-Din Yusuf by Husayn ibn Muhammad Al-Mawsili in 1258, now on display at the Louvre (inv.no. AO7428). Another ewer at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha features a similar decorative scheme, particularly characterized by a band of roundels alternating with inscription panels around the shoulder, a common feature of Fars ewers. The medallion decoration with arabesques and split palmettes symmetrically arranged over a plain ground in our present ewer closely resembles that found on a candlestick dating back to 1308-09 AD, currently in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts ("The Legacy of Genghis Khan," exhibition catalogue, New York, 2002, p.129, fig.154).
Furthermore, our ewer can be compared to a tray from Fars in the Victoria & Albert Museum, dating from 1300-1310, which features nearly identical palmettes on a plain ground filled with smaller silver-inlaid leaves and stems (A.S. Melikian-Chirvani in Islamic Metalwork from the Iranian World, London, 1982, p. 207). In summary, our ewer's design reflects a fascinating blend of influences, drawing from both Mosul and Mamluk traditions, while also incorporating elements reminiscent of Fars metalwork.
The anonymous patron of this ewer evidently aimed to commission a striking vessel. Although the silver used is thin, it is applied generously, covering as much surface area as possible with pieces often larger than usual. While some areas of the inlay have had restoration, enough of the original craftsmanship remains intact, allowing us to appreciate its fine quality. Considering the substantial number of surviving Western Iranian vessels from the medieval period, it is noteworthy how few of them are ewers of this form. This suggests that they were relatively scarce during that time, contributing to their limited presence in today's collections.
Around the neck, al-'izz wa al-nasr wa al-iqbal [wa] al-ni'am wa al-, Glory and victory and prosperity and grace and-
Around the body, al-'izz wa al-nasr wa al-iqbal [wa] al-ni'am wa al-jud wa al-majd wa al-ifdal [wa] al-karam [wa] al-'ilm, Glory and victory and prosperity and grace and generosity and splendour and liberality and knowledge
This magnificent ewer from Western Iran is similar in overall form to those produced in Mosul in the preceding century. One notable example is the ewer dated 1226 AD and made by Ahmad al-Dhaki al-Mawsili, in the Cleveland Museum of Art (inv.no. 1956.11). Another is a signed ewer in the Walters Art Museum by Yunus ibn Yusuf, known as 'al-naqqash al-Mawsili' dating to AH 644/1246-1247 AD (inv. no. 54.456).
Our ewer, although bearing some resemblances to Mosul models, displays more pronounced features that foreshadow the flaring mouth seen in later Mamluk ewers, such as the one crafted for Fatima, Sultan Qaitbay's wife, now, for instance, in the Victoria & Albert Museum (inv.no.762-1900). The similarities to Mamluk ewers can be attributed to the documented migration of craftsmen from Mosul to the Mamluk Empire, as discussed by Julian Raby in "The Principle of Parsimony" (Venetia Porter and Miriam Rosser-Owen, (eds.), Metalwork and Material Culture in the Islamic World, Art Craft and Text, London, 2012, especially Table 1.3, p.68).
One noteworthy vessel that underscores this connection is the silver-inlaid ewer crafted for Ayyubid Sultan Salah-al-Din Yusuf by Husayn ibn Muhammad Al-Mawsili in 1258, now on display at the Louvre (inv.no. AO7428). Another ewer at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha features a similar decorative scheme, particularly characterized by a band of roundels alternating with inscription panels around the shoulder, a common feature of Fars ewers. The medallion decoration with arabesques and split palmettes symmetrically arranged over a plain ground in our present ewer closely resembles that found on a candlestick dating back to 1308-09 AD, currently in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts ("The Legacy of Genghis Khan," exhibition catalogue, New York, 2002, p.129, fig.154).
Furthermore, our ewer can be compared to a tray from Fars in the Victoria & Albert Museum, dating from 1300-1310, which features nearly identical palmettes on a plain ground filled with smaller silver-inlaid leaves and stems (A.S. Melikian-Chirvani in Islamic Metalwork from the Iranian World, London, 1982, p. 207). In summary, our ewer's design reflects a fascinating blend of influences, drawing from both Mosul and Mamluk traditions, while also incorporating elements reminiscent of Fars metalwork.
The anonymous patron of this ewer evidently aimed to commission a striking vessel. Although the silver used is thin, it is applied generously, covering as much surface area as possible with pieces often larger than usual. While some areas of the inlay have had restoration, enough of the original craftsmanship remains intact, allowing us to appreciate its fine quality. Considering the substantial number of surviving Western Iranian vessels from the medieval period, it is noteworthy how few of them are ewers of this form. This suggests that they were relatively scarce during that time, contributing to their limited presence in today's collections.