Inkwell
Box (cover missing) or inkwell (upper section missing) of engraved brass inlaid with silver, with Mamluk titles, roundels decorated with birds, floral scrolls and whirling rosettes
Maker
(metalworker)
Title
Inkwell
Box (cover missing) or inkwell (upper section missing) of engraved brass inlaid with silver, with Mamluk titles, roundels decorated with birds, floral scrolls and whirling rosettes
Box (cover missing) or inkwell (upper section missing) of engraved brass inlaid with silver, with Mamluk titles, roundels decorated with birds, floral scrolls and whirling rosettes
Date of Production
c. 1300-30
Medium
metalworked brass and silver inlay
Dimensions
Height: 6.7 cm
Diameter: 10.2 cm
Diameter: 10.2 cm
Accession Number
O.1966.GP.206
Mode of Acquisition
Gambier Parry, bequest, 1966
Credit
The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)
Location
On display
Keywords
Label Text
This exquisitely decorated inkwell, dedicated to a nobleman, exemplifies the high value placed on all aspects of writing in Islamic cultures, including writing implements.
The objects in The Courtauld’s collection of Islamic metalwork were made in the Middle East and North Africa between around 1250 and 1500. Such pieces were prized for their superb craftsmanship.
Metalworkers from present-day Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Syria and Turkey perfected the technique of inlaying silver into sheets of hammered and chased (indented) brass. Calligraphic inscriptions, geometric patterns and images of hunters and musicians were popular decorations for these luxury objects.
The top is missing from this little box which is inscribed with the titles of an anonymous Mamluk official.
The objects in The Courtauld’s collection of Islamic metalwork were made in the Middle East and North Africa between around 1250 and 1500. Such pieces were prized for their superb craftsmanship.
Metalworkers from present-day Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Syria and Turkey perfected the technique of inlaying silver into sheets of hammered and chased (indented) brass. Calligraphic inscriptions, geometric patterns and images of hunters and musicians were popular decorations for these luxury objects.
The top is missing from this little box which is inscribed with the titles of an anonymous Mamluk official.
Provenance
Purchased by Thomas Gambier Parry before November 1860; by descent to Mark Gambier-Parry; Gambier-Parry Bequest 1966
Exhibition History
National Gallery (permanent display during closure), National Gallery, London, 14/09/2018-03/09/2021
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