AN EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE KHURASAN BRONZE LAMPSTAND, EASTERN PERSIA, 12TH CENTURY

constructed in interlocking sections, consisting of a domed tripod base with pierced interlace supported on zoomorphic legs, a central hexagonal shaft pierced with interlacing strap work and with a pierced globular bulb at each end, surmounted by a flat tray

with a major Japanese institution since the 1970s

Lampstands or cheraghdans of this kind find their genesis in earlier Byzantine examples, but like so many Coptic inspired metalworks, their beauty and ornament has been amplified under the aegis of Persian artistic innovation.

Whilst early Persian lampstands were crude and made of ceramic with flat bases and scant decoration (see Metalwork in Medieval Islamic Art, New York, 1983, p.12), later examples such as this are indicative of the technical and stylistic zenith of the Khurasani metalworking tradition. Distinctly Persian elements like the hexagonal central shaft, the zoomorphic tripod base and perforated body occur in the finest examples.

A markedly similar piece exists in the Victoria and Albert Museum (see Islamic Metalwork from the Iranian World, London, 1982, p.53). The Victoria and Albert example is in poor condition and its balusters and base are thought to be a marriage of separate fragments. As such, the rarity of the current piece is magnified by its marvellous condition and original components.