Siculo-Arabic, 12th century

Overall the condition of the casket is good. There is wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age and handling. There is overall wear to the gilding on the metal. There is some naturally occurring splitting to the ivory, particularly to the underside and front. The front has a fissure behind the lockplate. There are several losses, including to the two left corners of the top section and lid, bottom left and bottom right corners. There is a restoration to the underside on the right back corner, in the other corners there are filled holes were legs have been. Several of the metal mounts are slightly loose, particularly the front clasp, which has a loss to the end. The lockplate and the hinge on the right side were possibly replaced.
"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."

This casket is one of a group of ivory caskets which are mainly fitted with gilt copper mounts and are believed to have been made in Palermo by Muslim craftsmen during the twelfth-century Norman occupation. The mounts act both as highly decorative features of the whole and as supports for the delicate and fragile ivory walls. The small circle and dot motifs that feature at intervals around the lid in the form of small cruciform repeat patterns identify this group and can be found on chess pieces and other ivory objects attributed to 11th/12th-century Sicily. The traces of coloured pigment in the recesses of these incised elements suggest a more lavish original appearance.

An analagous casket, formerly in the Kofler-Truniger collection, was sold in these rooms on 27th April 2005, lot 71. Another example, but with raised claw feet, was also sold at Sotheby's on 13th October 2004, lot 35. Other Siculo-Arabic caskets can be found in in the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore (inv. no. 71.310) and in the Doha Museum (inv. no. iv.03.97).

RELATED LITERATURE
R. H. Randall Jr, Masterpieces of Ivory From the Walters Art Gallery, London, 1985, no. 232, pp. 158-159; M. Rosser-Owen, Ivory. 8th to 17th centuries. Treasures from the Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar, Doha, 2004, no. 5, pp. 24-29; H. Schnitzler, F. Volbach and P. Bloch, Skulpturen: Elfenbein, Perlmutter, Stein, Holz, Europäisches Mittelalter, Sammlung E. und M. Kofler-Truniger, Luzern, Band1, Stuttgart 1964, no. S25, p. 16