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.

Antiquities
Ancient Near East