259 - SYRIA - 15th century

SYRIA - 15th century Mamluk basin with blazon and writing board Tin-plated copper with engraved decoration inlaid with black paste Syria, 15th century, Mamluk period H. 7.5 cm - D. 18.5 cm This beautiful, finely engraved basin features alternating decorations of palmettes and arabesques, cartouches with "Y" motifs typical of the period, very fine interlaced palmettes, calligraphy and six-pointed stars. Below the base, a central medallion features a poly-lobed rosette centered on a blazon with a writing tablet, surrounded by a fine frieze of plant garlands. Of fine quality, this richly decorated and atypical basin shows a kinship with the decoration of so-called "Veneto-Syrian" or "Veneto-Saracen" metals, even if the presence of the coat of arms and the material suggest that it was intended for the Levantine market. A comparable basin is published in: AULD S., Renaissance Venice, Islam and Mahmud the Kurd: A metalworking enigma, Altajir World of Islam Trust, 2004, cat. no. 4.8, p. 211.