Luxury Inlaid Container
Details
- Author / creator
- Northern Iraq, Ayyubid period
- Object type
- Metalwork
- Date or period
- c. 1250–1350
- Dimensions summary
- Diameter: 11.4 cm; Overall: 12 cm; Diameter of box: 10.1 cm
- Maker or workshop
- Northern Iraq, Ayyubid period
- Period / style
- Gothic
- Place of origin
- Northern Iraq
- Acquisition method
- Purchase
- Credit line
- Purchased with the Founder's Endowment, 1944
About this object
Metalwork flourished in the 1200s with production centers in Mosul, Damascus, and eastern Anatolia. Along with this container, the nearby ewer and candlestick are examples of the superb pieces produced at this time. Scenes of court life, including banqueting, music, and enthroned figures, decorate the sides and top of the container. The lid is covered in hexagonal swastikas, an ancient solar motif, which is further enhanced by a large sunburst in the center. The calligraphic inscriptions extend wishes for a long life, prosperity, and patience to the owner.
Materials and technique
Sheet brass, inlaid with silver and gold
Signature and marks
Band around body (naskh): "Lasting glory, and safe life, and increasing prosperity, [and] nobility, [and] effective authority"; band around body (naskh): "Brilliance, and nobility, and patience, and modesty, and glory, and long life, and piety, and patience"
