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Luxury Inlaid Container
c. 1250–1350
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
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.
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Details
- Title: Luxury Inlaid Container
- Date Created: c. 1250–1350
- Physical Dimensions: Diameter: 11.4 cm (4 1/2 in.); Overall: 12 cm (4 3/4 in.); Diameter of box: 10.1 cm (4 in.); Box: 9.7 cm (3 13/16 in.)
- Provenance: (Heeramaneck Galleries, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Type: Metalwork
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1944.482
- Medium: sheet brass, inlaid with silver and gold
- Inscriptions: 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"
- Department: Islamic Art
- Culture: Northern Iraq, Ayyubid period
- Credit Line: Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
- Collection: Islamic Art
- Accession Number: 1944.482
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