Page 33 - ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND INDIAN WORLDS Carpets, Ceramics Objects, Christie's London Oct..27, 2022

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE GERMAN COLLECTION
24
A GOTHIC SILVER-INLAID BRONZE EWER
WITH MAMLUK DECORATION
FLEMISH LOW COUNTRIES AND MAMLUK EGYPT
OR SYRIA, LATE 14TH/EARLY 15TH CENTURY
The body of globular faceted form with a handle and
anthropomorphic spout, the hinged cover topped with
an elongated acorn finial, on flaring foot, the surface
engraved and originally inlaid with vegetal and foliate
motifs, a band of inscription along the foot, minor remains
of silver inlay, later gilded
11in. (28cm.) high
£40,000-60,000 US$46,000-69,000
€46,000-69,000

INSCRIPTIONS:
Around the foot, al-maliki repeated
This ewer is a wonderful demonstration of the close
commercial contact between East and West in the late
Middle Ages. The shape of the vessel itself is Flemish,
relating also to earlier Burgundian work in rock-crystal,
which probably provided the stylistic source for bronze
ewers of this type (A.E. Theuerkauff-Liederwald,
Mittelalterliche Bronze und Messinggefässe: Eimer,
Kannen, Lavabokessel, Berlin, 1988, p.305, fig.288). A
Veneto-Saracenic ewer of very similar form was sold at
Sotheby’s, London, 9 April 2008, lot 173.

The engraved decoration that covers the surface of the
vessel however is Mamluk in style and typical of the work
done for the western market in Cairo and Damascus
around the year 1400 (see R. Ward, ‘Metallarbeiten der
Mamluken-Zeit hergestellt für den Export nach Europa’,
Europa und der Orient, 800-1900, Berlin, 1989, pp.202-
9). The engraving would once have had a silver and black
niello inlay which would have made the decoration stand
out. Minute areas of the silver still remain beneath the
later gilding on the surface.

Similar engraving decorates a Flemish ewer in Victoria &
Albert Museum, of related form to ours but slightly later
in date (M32-1946). The decoration on our ewer takes
the form of floral decoration but the foot is also engraved
with an Arabic inscription, the repeated phrase al-maliki
(the owner) on every facet. Islamic vessels made for the
local market would usually bear a long benedictory or
dedicatory inscription, but for those made for export
they were often replaced by a single Arabic term, as
seen here. Another ewer of related form, but probably
Mamluk in origin, is in a private collection. That bears
similar silver-inlaid foliate decoration but also, around the
neck, a coat of arms. The curtailed Arabic inscription on
ours and coat of arms on the related example strongly
suggest that these vessels were made for export from
the Islamic world.

th
Made in Europe in the 14 century, sent to the Islamic
world soon thereafter and then re-exported as a luxury
object after its decoration, this ewer provides a perfect
illustration of the close cross cultural ties of the period.

30 In addition to the hammer price, a Buyer’s Premium (plus VAT) is payable. Other taxes and/or an Artist Resale Royalty 31
fee are also payable if the lot has a tax or λ symbol. Check Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of this catalogue.