A high tin bronze tray, Khurasan, circa 1200

of circular form with slightly concave base and inward-sloping sides and flat rim, incised with a broad epigraphic band of naskh script interrupted by circular cartouches on a finely stippled ground of foliate scrollwork, an inner frieze of running animals including jackals or foxes, dogs, hares and a cheetah, the centre with a roundel filled with geometric interlace, with narrow minor bands, fine chain band along the rim

inscriptions

al-‘izz wa al-baqa’ wa al-midha wa a / l-thana’ wa al-birr wa al-‘ata’ wa a / l-lutf wa al-rida’ wa al-hilm wa a / l-haya’ wa al-‘ata’ li-sahibihi

‘Glory and Long-life and Praise and Salutation and Piety and Favour and Grace (of God) and Gentleness and Forbearance and Modesty and Grace (of God) to its owner’

For a closely related tray in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and another in the Iran Bastan Museum, Tehran, see Melikian Chirvani 1982, pp.96-99, no.27 and figs. 27, 27a and 27b. See also von Folsach 2001, no.485, p.308.