Bronze Rose Water Sprinkler - LO.678, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 5.50" (14.0cm) high, Collection: Islamic Art, Medium: Quarternary Bronze.

Bronze Rose Water Sprinkler - LO.678, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 5.50" (14.0cm) high, Collection: Islamic Art, Medium: Quarternary Bronze.   « Less

Bronze Rose Water Sprinkler - LO.679, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 11 th Century AD to 12 th Century AD, Dimensions: 6.25" (15.9cm) high, Collection: Islamic art, Style:  More »

Bronze Rose Water Sprinkler - LO.679, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 11 th Century AD to 12 th Century AD, Dimensions: 6.25" (15.9cm) high, Collection: Islamic art, Style: Seljuk, Medium: Quarternary Bronze.   « Less

Bamiyan Style Glazed Plate - LO.685, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1250 AD, Dimensions: 10.625" (27.0cm) depth, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Bamiyan, Medium:  More »

Bamiyan Style Glazed Plate - LO.685, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1250 AD, Dimensions: 10.625" (27.0cm) depth, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Bamiyan, Medium: Glazed Earthenware.   « Less

Small Bronze Ewer - LO.686, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1300 AD, Dimensions: 7" (17.8cm) high, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Islamic, Medium: Bronze.

Small Bronze Ewer - LO.686, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1300 AD, Dimensions: 7" (17.8cm) high, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Islamic, Medium: Bronze.   « Less

Brass Incised Rose Water Sprinkler - LO.687, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1250 AD, Dimensions: 5.375" (13.7cm) high, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Seljuk,  More »

Brass Incised Rose Water Sprinkler - LO.687, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1250 AD, Dimensions: 5.375" (13.7cm) high, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Seljuk, Medium: Brass.   « Less

Copper Alloy Ewer - LO.688, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 8.75" (22.2cm) high, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Seljuk, Medium: Copper-Alloy.

Copper Alloy Ewer - LO.688, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 8.75" (22.2cm) high, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Seljuk, Medium: Copper-Alloy.   « Less

Bronze Inkwell (Mihbara) - LO.689, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 11 th Century AD to 12 th Century AD, Dimensions: 4.50" (11.4cm) high x 3.675" (9.3cm) depth, Collection:  More »

Bronze Inkwell (Mihbara) - LO.689, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 11 th Century AD to 12 th Century AD, Dimensions: 4.50" (11.4cm) high x 3.675" (9.3cm) depth, Collection: Islamic art, Style: Seljuk, Medium: Bronze. Large cylindrical inkwell with knobbed lid, cast and engraved on the base with concentric ridges. The lid is kept in place by three long knobbed rivets that insert through the lid into the chanlles attached to the interior of the well.   « Less

Copper Alloy Inkwell (Mihbara) - LO.691, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 2.125" (5.4cm) high x 1.675" (4.3cm) depth, Collection: Islamic art,  More »

Copper Alloy Inkwell (Mihbara) - LO.691, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 2.125" (5.4cm) high x 1.675" (4.3cm) depth, Collection: Islamic art, Style: Islamic, Medium: Quarternary Bronze.   « Less

Copper Alloy Ewer - LO.692, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 9.125" (23.2cm) high, Collection: Islamic art, Style: Islamic, Medium: Copper-Alloy.  More »

Copper Alloy Ewer - LO.692, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 9.125" (23.2cm) high, Collection: Islamic art, Style: Islamic, Medium: Copper-Alloy. Pear-shaped ewer standing on a rather high sloping foot. A simple raised collar at the base of the neck. The simple undulated strap handle with a bold palmette finial topped with a knob. The exterior of the body engraved with a horizontal register of calligraphic script under the collar, an arabesque motif on the belly and a further narrower band of foliage on the foot. The animated well spaced and perfectly suited decoration is in tune with the artistic production of the mid 12th century, when a huge variety of decorative themes and typologies were spurred, commissioned by the emerging strong bourgeoisie in northeastern Iran. Inscriptions occur on nearly every object and usually consist of anonymous wishes, though sometimes they might provide information about patrons, makers and dates of manufacture. For a comparable example see Ettinghausen et al, Islamic Art and Architecture, 2001: pl. 255, p.167.   « Less

Fallimorphic Cylindrical Vessel - LO.693, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 800 AD to 1000 AD, Dimensions: 8" (20.3cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Islamic, Medium:  More »

Fallimorphic Cylindrical Vessel - LO.693, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 800 AD to 1000 AD, Dimensions: 8" (20.3cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Islamic, Medium: Stoneware. Elongated stone vessel in the shape of a male scrotum, pointed on its lower part and featuring two bulging spheres to represent the genitals. Along the body diamond shaped incised patterns. Various interpretations have been offered regarding the actual function of such vessels, from grenades, fire-blowers (aeolipiles), to containers of precious liquids or plumb bobs. Indeed recently the Conservation Department of the Institute of Archaeology, University of London, while analysing one sphero-conical vessel, found traces of mercury, thus indicating that some of these objects could have been used to contain mercury.Other authors, relying on epigrahic evidence, have suggested that some of them would have stored beer. What seems logic is that sphero-conical vessels, depending on the shape and material, would have then served different purposes. Not only were they eccletic in function, they also have been found in sites throughout the Middle East up to Central Asia, datable from the 1st millennium BC up to the Mongol invasion, attesting to their incredible success as portable carriers of precious substances. The unusual shape of this vessel further carries either an erotic and/or ritualistic connotation which is now difficult to grasp. Definitely, such peculiar containers would have served a specific function, perhaps linked to fertility rites or esoteric practices. G. Fehervari, Ceramic of the Islamic World in the Tarek Rajab Museum, 2000: pp 207-231. Richard Ettinghausen, 'The Use of sphero- Conical Vessels in the Muslim East', Journal of Near Eastern Studies, XXIV, 1965: 218-229.   « Less