A fine Mamluk silver inlaid brass casket, Syria or Egypt, circa 1300

of cylindrical form with hinged bevelled cover, foliate lock and hinge, engraved and inlaid in silver, with a monumental cursive inscription around the body on a split-palmette scroll ground, the cover with a central roundel framing a seated figure flanked by attendants bordered by a split-palmette band intercepted by swastikas, rim with hunting dogs and deer interspersed with similar swastikas

patination, loss to inlay, lock loop replaced, traces of a finial or handle to cover, as viewed
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
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inscription

al-maqarr al-karim  al-'ali al-mawlawi al-amiri al-kabiri al-'alimi al-'amili

'The Honourable authority, the High, the Lordly, the Great Amir, the Learned, the Diligent'

There are a number of boxes of this type in existence dating to the late Ayyubid and early Mamluk periods; Gaston Wiet lists twenty-two (see Wiet, G., Catalogue du Museé arabe. Objets en cuivre, Cairo, 1932, reprinted 1984, pp.79-80). One such box, in the Cairo museum bears the name and titles of the Mamluk emir Tughay-Timur, cup-bearer to al-Malik al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalaun (r.1294-1341), which allows us to date others in the group to the early 14th century (Ibid, pp.102-3, Pl. VI).

One feature of particular note here is the figural medallion which adorns the apex of the cover depicting an enthroned princely figure flanked by attendants, a topos of the late Ayyubid / early Mamluk period.  The occurence of this highly standardised composition in combination with a monumental thuluth inscription marks the transition away from the late Seljuq / Ayyubid figural style towards the bolder, mature Mamluk style with its powerful epigraphic forms, a shift that took place in the early part of the reign of Al-Nasir Muhammad (1294-1341).

A casket of similar form, also with standardised inscription praising the owner, sold at Galerie de Chartres, Chartres, 16 October 2005, p.9