All lots "Earrings" Advanced search

Reset all filters
1172 results

Thu 16 May

A RARE SILVER AND NIELLOED CUP WITH KUFIC INSCRIPTION, PERSIA OR CENTRAL ASIA, 11TH-12TH CENTURY - Of deep, rounded, and a loop handle with flattened tri-lobed thumb piece, the exterior decorated with niellowork, including scrolling arabesques on the petals and an inscription along the rim, the body with three medallions. 18.1 by 8.2 cm. Inscriptions Around the rim: alnama' wal'kamal wal saeada lak fi aldunya Growth, perfection and happiness for you in the world CATALOGUE NOTE The date for the current bowl is based on comparisons with a number of examples attributed to the eleventh and twelfth centuries in Persia. Notably, the so-called "Harari hoard", once owned by the collector Ralph Harari and now in the L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art, Jerusalem, which provides a number of comparable silver objects with niello decoration and inscriptions, which include jugs, incense burners, rosewater sprinklers and two footed trays (illustrated in: Hasson 2000, p.41). Another silver cup, also in the L.A. Mayer Memorial Museum in Jerusalem (inv. no. M40-68) is of shallow round form with niello decoration on the exterior and has a similar round loop handle with a flat top similar to the present cup. It was noted by Eva Baer as having parallels with Sogdian silver of the eighth to ninth century, which, though later in date, is contiguous in location with the previous example stated in this note (Baer 1983, p.105, no.83; and Pope and Ackermann 1938-9, vol.VI, pl.1351a). Another related piece, a rosewater sprinkler with parcel gilt and niello decoration from the L.A.Mayer Museum (inv. no. M 30-68) compares to a bottle from Persia dated to the twelfth century in the Freer Gallery of Art (inv. no. 50.5) illustrated in: Atil 1985, p.85, no.31. Such extant silverwork with niello decoration, even though ascribed to a period between the tenth and thirteenth centuries by scholars, has not been organized in a particular chronological order but can clearly be linked together through their Persian connections attested through their inscriptions: from the fifth-century BC bowl naming the Achaemenid King Artaxerxes I, to several models inscribed with the name of Amir Abu'l-Abbas Valkin ibn Harun, who was thought to be a Daylamite prince of the tenth century (Atil 1985, p. 85). Amir Abu'l-Abbas Valkin ibn Harun, whose name is inscribed on various silver objects with niello ornamentation, is mentioned by Rachel Ward in connection with Buyid metalwork (Ward 1993, pp.54-55). The Buyids, who ruled Iraq and Western Iran from 932 to 1062 AD, constructed their identity by emphasizing their Sassanian heritage and marking themselves as "Persian" Kings. The particular notion of inscribing one's name on vessels is attributed by Ward to the tradition of the Buyid's Byzantine neighbors (Ward 1993 p.54). The present bowl, with an inscription simply praising its owner without naming him, should be examined within the ancient tradition of Persian silverwork and the influences derived from Sogdian to Byzantine models. It is an object both of rarity and academic interest because, in its stylistic traits, it bears the imprint of a long and rich tradition of high-quality Persian silverware, of which precious few examples survive. The eared handle provides an important clue for the dating of this piece, being comparable to a number of other vessels in both metal and ceramic dating to the tenth/eleventh century. The variety of decorative motifs employed on such loop handles is illustrated by the Khurasan bronze cup with three-dimensional elephant-form thumb-piece, exhibited in Geneva 1985, p.253, no.254. The author ascribes this form to the Sogdian tradition with its widespread use of small ring handles for everyday objects (ibid, p.253, no.254). Another deep round silver cup with an inscription near the rim and a loop handle with a flat thumb piece from eastern Khurasan, eleventh century, is a part of the State Hermitage Museum's collection (inv. no. VZ-875; illustrated in: Kuwait 1990, p.44, no.21). Ceramic models also illustrate such a trend, notably a cup also from the State Hermitage Museum Collection, inv. no. SA-7175 (exhibited in Piotrovsky and Pritula ed., Beyond the Palace Walls: Islamic Art from the State Hermitage Museum, 2006, p.36, no.30 and also illustrated in Saint Petersburg, 2008, p.58, no.42).

Estim. 60 000 - 80 000 EUR
Security
Online payments are secured by Ingenico and encrypted transactions.
Guarantees
Each lot has been authenticated and appraised by an Auction House.
Support
Consult our FAQ or contact us
Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.
More about Drouot
Drouot certified auction houses
To buy
How to buy on Drouot.com
How to buy at the Hôtel Drouot
Glossary
Useful links
To sell
Value your property
Auctions at the Hôtel Drouot
Subscribe
SERVICES FOR PROFESSIONALS
Auctioneers
Contacts
HÔTEL DROUOT
9, rue Drouot 75009 Paris, France
+33 (0)1 48 00 20 00
[email protected]

DROUOT.com
[email protected]
Press Center
Private events
CGU and legal notice - Privacy Statement - Copyright © Drouot.com