Bowl

Object Details

• Description

  The bowl is hammered and turned brass, chased and inlaid with silver, gold and a black organic material. It is decorated with a wide band of thuluth inscriptions interrupted by four medallions.

  Decorative kufic letters are interspersed in the vertical shafts of the thuluth inscription.

  The four medallions represent a central personage seated on a throne, flanked by two standing attendants who hold maces (?). Blossoms appear under the throne in three medallions whereas a duck is depicted in the fourth scene.

  Gold inlay has been applied to the face, hat, and garments of the prince; it also appears on the faces, hats, and maces of the attendants.

  The bottom of the bowl has a radiating design forming sixteen units filled with floral motifs. The interior is devoid of decoration.

• Inscriptions

  1. (E. Atil, 1981) . . . The inscriptions, written in Arabic, read: "Glory to our master, the great sultan, lord of the guardians (riqab) of nations, the sultan of sultans of the Arabs and Persians, the wise . . . " (^o^.)

  2. (Glenn Lowry, exhibition label, "Metalwork," October 1985) . . . The inscription reads: "Glory to our master, the greatest sultan, lord of the necks of nations, the sultan of sultans of the Arabs and non-Arabs, the wise-king (?)."

  3. (Wheeler Thackston, Harvard University, Summer 1990) The inscription reads (^o^):

  al-'izz li-mawlana al-[su]tan * [a]l-a'zam malik riqab al-umam * al-sultan al-salatin [sic, read sultan salatin] al-'arab wa'l-'ajam, al-'alim

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

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

  Islamic Metalwork in the Freer Gallery of Art (September 27, 1985 to November 17, 1986)

  Near Eastern Metalwork (February 29, 1980 to March 3, 1980)

• Origin

  Fars, Iran

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Vessel

• 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.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1300s

• Place

  Fars

• Topic

  Kufic script, Sultan, Art, Inlay (process), Arts of the Islamic World, Incising, Flowers, Piercing, Metal-work

• Culture

  Muslims, Iranians

• Language

  Thuluth script

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)