A large Mamluk silver- and niello-inlaid brass candlestick made for an officer of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad, Syria or Egypt, early 14th century

the body beaten and hammered, of truncated conical form with a concave drip-pan and a straight cylindrical neck with truncated conical socket, incised and inlaid in silver and niello with a monumental thuluth inscription set against a ground of undulating and spiralling foliate scrolls with raised ridged bands above and below decorated with stylised leaves separated by a minor band of undulating scrollwork, the well of the drip-pan with a radial inscription on a scroll ground, the neck with three large roundels each filled with scrolls and centred on a six-petalled rosette with three further rosettes repeated in the spaces inbetween, bordered by minor bands of stiff overlapping leaves, the socket with a narrow inscription band interrupted at intervals by eight-petalled rosettes and set between raised ridged bands which echo albeit on a smaller scale the profile of the main body

losses to silver inlay, some corrosion and cracks to the well of the drip-pan and mouth of the socket with old consolidation, patination with general wear and surface rubbing consistent with age and use, 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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

inscriptions

Round the neck:
al-maqarr al-'ali al-mawlawi a / l-maliki al-'amili al-muda / bbiri al-ghazi al-maliki al-nasiri

'The High authority, the Lordly, the Possessor, the Diligent, the Leader, the Holy warrior, [an officer of] al-Malik al-Nasir'

Round the shoulder:
al-maqarr al-karim al-'ali al-mawlawi al-maliki al-'alimi al-'amili al-'adili al-ghazi al-mujahidi al-murabiti al-maliki al-nasiri

'The Honourable authority, the High, the Lordly, the Possessor, the Learned, the Diligent, the Just, the Conqueror, the Holy warrior, the Defender, [an officer of] al-Malik al-Nasir'

Round the body:
al-maqarr al-karim al-'ali al-mawlawi al-maliki al-'alimi al-'amili al-ghazi al-maliki al-nasiri

'The Honourable authority, the High, the Lordly, the Possessor, the Learned, the Diligent, the Holy warrior,  [an officer of] al-Malik al-Nasir'

Inside, later Ottoman ownership inscription incised in Tughra:
al-faqir ahmad ibn al-sarim fi sana 961

'For the needy Ahmad ibn al-Sarim in the year 961 (A.D. 1553-4)'

A fine example of Mamluk inlaid metalwork made for an officer or emir of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qala'un (r. 1294-1340) during the "classical" period of Mamluk artistic production.

By the period of this candlestick, the figural compositions that had characterised earlier Mamluk metalware, such as the Baptistère of San Louis (Louvre, inv. no.LP16) had been supplanted by a more formal taste for large calligraphic panels. The use of bold script, such as thuluth, meant that the designs acquired a monumentality and gravity which was appropriate for a form that was frequently donated as a pious bequest (waqf) to a mosque or madrasa.

The classic configuration of the design, with its distinctive ridged profile and the majestic rhythm of the main inscription band, mark this out a product of the reign of the Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qala'un (r.1294-1340).  Furthermore, the minor bands of stiff leaves as well as certain decorative details such as the six- and eight-petalled rosettes, are typical of this period of patronage.

A markedly similar candlestick is in the collections of the Louvre (inv. no. AO 5005; see Paris 1977, no.101, pp.82-83, and Wiet 1932, no.168, pp.198-199). Two further very similar examples are to be found in the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo (Wiet 1932, nos.4043 and 3982, pls.XXXI-XXXII).

The condition of the piece is notable for the absence of modern repair.  The workmanship in general approaches the highest quality in what can be considered some of the most prestigious metalwork ever produced under Muslim rule.