Antique Silver Inlaid Coffee Tea Pot Mosul Ayyubid

Details

Description

An engraved, silver-inlaid, brass coffee or tea pot, possibly Mosul, Ayyubid Syria-Iraq, late 19 century. Of typical form, the bold … Read more An engraved, silver-inlaid, brass coffee or tea pot, possibly Mosul, Ayyubid Syria-Iraq, late 19 century. Of typical form, the bold inscriptions interspersed with medallions each inhabited by the Sultan and his wife (or one of his wives). The royal imagery implies that the Sultan or some other person of very high standing at the sultan’s court may have been the patron.
The medallions also enclose twisted vines, and mythical doves. Hand engraved and filled in with black composition. All details of the artisan-ship are lavishly stylistic, featuring scrolls, foliage, Arabic motifs and mystic fauna.
The production of inlaid brasses and bronzes eventually ranged from Egypt to the
Punjab, and James Allan has brilliantly demonstrated how the technique was developed
in the twelfth century by silversmiths in Khurasan. By the middle of that century metalworkers in Herat achieved a high level of virtuosity, and from Khurasan the technique spread westwards. The craft required relatively few tools, and émigré artisans could have taken their skills to several centers in western Iran, Iraq.
Provenance: Acquired from an antique dealer in the Middle east by one of our ancestors who served with the 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, in World War I.
Dimensions: 9 in H x 8 in L x 4 in W.
Condition: Very good for age. Signs of traditional usage and age. Shows normal soot mostly at the bottom (amorphous carbon, produced by the incomplete burning of organic matter). Couple of minor scratches.The lid is removable, appears to be unhinged. It can be fixed easily. Item has not been cleaned or repaired. Item is sold in the same condition as found/inherited. See less