Flask

Object Details

• Description

  Arabesque decorations forming a stylized tree on the front and back are executed in low, sharped-edged relief. Austrian enameled gold mounting of about 1600.

• Label

  Together with gold and silver, rock crystal was one of the most esteemed materials during the first centuries of Islam. According to historical sources, the treasury of the Fatimid rulers of Egypt (909-1171) in Cairo possessed between 18,000 and 36,000 such items. Most extant examples have been preserved in the West, where they were often used as reliquaries in churches or collected by the aristocracy.

  This flask, perhaps made prior to the rule of the Fatimids, once belonged to the collection of the Habsburg emperor Rudolph II of Bohemia (reigned 1576-1612). The fine gold mount with enameled decoration dates from his reign.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Engaging the Senses (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Arts of the Islamic World (May 3, 1998 to January 3, 2016)

  Islamic Art (May 9, 1993 to June 3, 1997)

  Art of the Arab World (May 8, 1975 to August 20, 1977)

  Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 6 and 7 (February 25, 1956 to April 10, 1962)

  Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Manuscripts, Pottery, Metalwork, and Glass (April 12, 1955 to November 21, 1955)

  Special Exhibition, Near Eastern Art (September 15, 1953 to February 9, 1954)

  Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Arts, 1947 (October 6, 1947 to February 25, 1956)

• Origin

  Egypt

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Vessel

• On View

  Freer Gallery 03: Engaging the Senses

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  900s

• Place

  Egypt

• Topic

  Art, Arts of the Islamic World, Fatimid period (909 - 1171), Quartz

• Culture

  Muslims

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)

• On View

  Yes