CENTRAL ASIA OR IRAN, 11TH OR 12TH CENTURY

Lions have long been used as imperial symbols of power in Iranian art. However, lions modelled in repoussé as seen on the present lot seemed to be particularly popular in metalwork of Eastern Iran and Afghanistan between the 11th and 13th centuries. Similar lions can be found on the shoulders of brass candlesticks and ewers in major collections, for example a ewer in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Obj.no. 44.15) and an exceptional rosewater sprinkler in the David Collection, Copenhagen (inv.no. 15⁄1991).

From the known items decorated with repoussé lions of this type, our finial is particularly rare because it is made of gold. A gold repoussé belt ornament in the Freer Gallery of Art is decorated with a lion in relief, with chased details on ring-punched ground, similar to that on the present lot (acc.no. F1982.12). Our finial perhaps relates closest to a sword pommel from the Tehran Archaeological Museum (Esin Atil et. al., Catalogue of Islamic Metalwork in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, 1985, p. 72, fig. 28). The pommel is decorated with three seated winged-lions with heads in high-relief and is therefore very similar to our finial. The pommel was found in Gilan, on Iran's Caspian coast, and dated to the 11th century. The current finial represents an important third example of repoussé lions in gold to add alongside the Freer Gallery belt buckle and Tehran pommel.