Gilt-Copper Lobed Bowl with Enamelled Geometric Motifs

This bowl’s luminous surface was created through the tombak gilding technique, in which a copper vessel covered in powdered gold and mercury is fired in a kiln (the mercury serves to secure the gold). It is of a type of refined metalwork produced in the Balkans, in particular, during the height of the Ottoman empire. The vessel’s faceted surface was achieved through the engraving and hammering of copper sheet, and colorful enameled roundels contribute further visual interest and sophistication. This bowl is a highlight of the DDFIA metalwork collection and was among several fine objects acquired by Doris Duke (1912–93) at auction in 1989 (just four years before her death).