Islamic Bronze Incense Burner in the Form of a Feline - LO.1324 (LSO), Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 13.4" (34.0cm) high x, 11.6" (29.5cm)  More »

Islamic Bronze Incense Burner in the Form of a Feline - LO.1324 (LSO), Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 13.4" (34.0cm) high x, 11.6" (29.5cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Khurasan, Medium: Bronze, This beautifully made open-work incense burner is an elite interpretation of a form widely spread across Central Asia in the 11th to 12th centuries. While zoomorphic and anthropomorphic representations were forbidden under Islamic religious law, the so-called “principle of improbability” was employed to create animals that were so far removed from reality that they could not be argued to be in any way representational of nature; thus were the strictures avoided. Unlikely animals were created by manipulation of proportions and postures, incorporation of imagined elements (or those taken from other creatures) and flamboyant decoration using floral and abstract geometric motifs. The current piece takes the general form of a cat (either a lion or a lynx) and displays all of these methods in a technical and aesthetic tour de force.   « Less

Kashan Lustre Painted Amphora - LO.1331, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1170 AD to 1220 AD, Dimensions: 11.5" (29.2cm) high, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Kashan, Medium:  More »

Kashan Lustre Painted Amphora - LO.1331, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1170 AD to 1220 AD, Dimensions: 11.5" (29.2cm) high, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Kashan, Medium: Fritware, The creation of lusterware is a highly sophisticated process and was a closely guarded secret during the heyday of its production. The technique seems to have been invented in Egypt in the eighth century, although initially it was employed on glass not pottery. It was in Iraq in the ninth century during the Abbasid caliphate that potters first began to experiment with lustre. Islamic prescriptions forbade the use of precious metals, namely gold and silver, for the making of vessels. However lustered ceramics did not fall under this ban and were valued for their glimmering surfaces. One contemporary, Abu’l Qasim, described lusterware as ‘reflecting like red gold and shining like the light of the sun.’ From the late tenth century, Fatimid Egypt overtook Iraq in the quality of its lusterware. The highest quality works, however, were produced in the small town of Kashan between the late twelfth century and the mid-fourteenth. The Mongol invasions in the 1200s do not seem to have had any detrimental effect on the pottery workshops. Kashan wares were much sought after by discerning patrons who often commissioned large-scale tile-work for architectural projects as well a huge range of vessels.   « Less

Early Islamic Glass Bottle with Marvered Trails - LO.1391, Origin: Egypt or Syria, Circa: 600 AD to 800 AD, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Free Blown/Marvered/Tooled,  More »

Early Islamic Glass Bottle with Marvered Trails - LO.1391, Origin: Egypt or Syria, Circa: 600 AD to 800 AD, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Free Blown/Marvered/Tooled, Medium: Glass, Condition: Very Fine, This four-sided bottle is almost square, the base is nearly flat, the profile is straight, and the neck is slightly flared and curved. The body and neck were entirely marvered into a slightly irregular arched and wavy pattern. The pale grey thread is wider and more predominant that the brown and yellow threads. So-called marvered glass from the Islamic period includes some of the most peculiar and appealing objects produced by medieval glassmakers. The marvered trails, subsequently tooled with a pointed device, into wavy, arcaded, festooned, or foliate patterns, are almost invariably white, or sometimes pale blue, greyish, red or yellow.   « Less

Kashan Lustre Pottery Bowl - GD.001, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1300 AD, Dimensions: 3.3" (8.4cm) high x 7.6" (19.3cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style:  More »

Kashan Lustre Pottery Bowl - GD.001, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1300 AD, Dimensions: 3.3" (8.4cm) high x 7.6" (19.3cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Kashan, Medium: Lustreware, This item is a classic example of the 'panel style', so-called because of the division of the surface into radial panels which are distinguished by their separate patterns.   « Less

Sultanabad Glazed Earthenware Bowl - GD.005R, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1300 AD to 1350 AD, Dimensions: 3.1" (7.9cm) high x 13" (33.0cm) wide, Collection: Islamic, Art,  More »

Sultanabad Glazed Earthenware Bowl - GD.005R, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1300 AD to 1350 AD, Dimensions: 3.1" (7.9cm) high x 13" (33.0cm) wide, Collection: Islamic, Art, Style: Sultanabad, Medium: Glazed Earthenware, The Mongol invasions of the Islamic world began in 1221, with the conquest of eastern Iran. However, a more devastating wave of conquest came with Genghis Khan’s grandson Hülegü. Establishing rule over most of West Asia, he assumed the title of “Il-Khan”, meaning lesser Khan, subordinate to the Great Khan ruling in China. This branch of the Mongol dynasty, known as the Ilkhanids, centered its power in northwestern Iran between 1256 and 1353.   « Less

Khurasan Lead Flask Inlaid with Copper - GD.040R, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1300 AD, Dimensions: 17.75" (45.1cm) high, Collection: Islamic Art, Style:,  More »

Khurasan Lead Flask Inlaid with Copper - GD.040R, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1300 AD, Dimensions: 17.75" (45.1cm) high, Collection: Islamic Art, Style:, Khurasan, Medium: Lead, Copper, Initially the invasion of the Mongols at the beginning of the 12th century had a detrimental impact on art and artists of the region. However after a brief interlude metalworking experienced a new renaissance.   « Less

Turquoise Glazed Bowl with Inscriptions - AMD.02, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1300 AD, Dimensions: 3.5" (8.9cm) high x 5.5" (14.0cm) wide, Collection:Islamic Art,  More »

Turquoise Glazed Bowl with Inscriptions - AMD.02, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1300 AD, Dimensions: 3.5" (8.9cm) high x 5.5" (14.0cm) wide, Collection:Islamic Art, Style: Islamic, Medium: Glazed Earthenware, The entire outside circumference of this molded monochrome glazed bowl is magnificently inscribed with regal benedictions and with crowned harpies (bird figures with human heads). The significance of the Harpy is well noted in Islamic legend in that the Prophet Muhammad's ascension to heaven was made with the aid of the "Buraq" a Harpy. Their features correspond to a physical type depicted in both Saljuq painting and sculpture. The striking resemblance of the crowned harpies, to the figures that appear on a number of “bird bowls” (Earnst J. Grube, Cobalt and Lustre, The Nasser D. Khallili Collection of Islamic Art, 1994. Cat.209), some of which have been interpreted as part of the iconography of the “Royal Wine Boat”, suggests that they had a specific meaning which is yet to be fully determined.   « Less

Islamic Bronze Bucket - AMD.06, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1000 AD to 1300 AD, Dimensions: 8.3" (21.1cm) high x 8.1" (20.6cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Islamic,  More »

Islamic Bronze Bucket - AMD.06, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1000 AD to 1300 AD, Dimensions: 8.3" (21.1cm) high x 8.1" (20.6cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Islamic, Medium: Bronze, Metal buckets occurred in pre-Islamic cultures in the Middle East and it is likely that the Islamic versions were based on the classical prototype of tapering cylindrical form known to have been produced in Egypt.   « Less

Kashan Water Jug - AMD.13, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1300 AD, Dimensions: 6.9" (17.5cm), high x 5.6" (14.2cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Kashan,  More »

Kashan Water Jug - AMD.13, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1300 AD, Dimensions: 6.9" (17.5cm), high x 5.6" (14.2cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Kashan, Medium: Lustreware, This jug has a globular and regular symmetrical body with an undulated handle. The top rim of the jar consists of Kufic inscriptions usually describing auspicious sayings to the owner. A fine scroll of inscriptions also appears in the inner rim of the mouth of the vessel.   « Less

'Silhouette' Glazed Jug - AMD.015, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1000 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 11.0" (27.9cm) high x 7.3" (18.5cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style:  More »

'Silhouette' Glazed Jug - AMD.015, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1000 AD to 1200 AD, Dimensions: 11.0" (27.9cm) high x 7.3" (18.5cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Silhouette Ware, Medium: Buff, Earthenware, Silhouette wares a specialty of Central Asian potters during the 12th and early 13th centuries. The technique involves and extensive black slip which, depending on which side the potters wanted to decorate, covers either the inside or the outside of the vessel out of which the design was carved out, and then it was coated with a colourless or coloured transparent glaze.   « Less