Bowl
Bowl of engraved brass inlaid with silver; decorated with inscriptions of titles interspersed with roundels containing alternately birds and interlaced plants with central whirling rosettes

This vessel is thought to be a water bowl. Its scale and calligraphic style are typical of brass objects dating from the reign of Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun (from 1293 to 1341). Silver inlay accentuates its bold inscription and floral embellishments.

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.
Round-bottomed bowls contained perfumed water that servants poured over the hands. They are frequently engraved with fish on the inside, but this bowl instead has flying ducks on its outer surface. According to the Arabic inscription, the bowl was made for an officer of Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir. Several Mamluk sultans were titled al-Nasir but the style of the bowl suggests that its owner was in the service of al-Nasir Muhammad (1293-1341) during the later decades of his long reign.

Information not yet known or updated

Islamic Metalwork Touring Highlights Exhibition, Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro, 27/09/2019-12/01/2020; Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Bradford, 18/01/2020-20/09/2020; Museum of the History of Science, University of Oxford, 10/09/2020-10/01/2021; Holburne Museum, Bath, 17/05/2021-01/08/2021

Inscription: (in translation) The high authority, the possessor / the possessor, the wise, the … / the possessor, the wise, the … / the possessor, [in the service] of al-Malik al-Nasir