A Rare Glass Cup With Handle, Egypt or Syria, 10th-11th century

of shallow cylindrical form on a flattened base, a slightly raised central boss, applied handle with a bud-form finial

some cracks, handle repaired (reattached), 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."

This beautiful cup, elegant in its simplicity of form, neat handle and even opaque colour remains in remarkable condition with little iridescence. The basic bowl shape is one that appears across the Islamic world in the eighth to tenth centuries; related examples having been excavated at both Fustat and Nishapur (Scanlon and Pinder-Wilson 2001, pp.21-6, nos.1-4, and Kröger 1995, pp.41-5, nos.1-12, respectively).  The precise form of the present cup is slightly closer to the plain bowls found at Fustat, suggesting that Egypt is a more likely home for this piece than Persia. Equally, a number of bowls with handles, variations on this form, have been attributed to Egypt in this period. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has a cup with four small feet and a handle with thumb-piece similar to the present cup (inv.no.C165-1932, illustrated in Carboni and Whitehouse 2001, p.72, no.1). Another related piece, with similar handle and trailed decoration, is in the al-Sabah Collection (Carboni 2001, p.283, cat.no.3.51). A further example, with trailed and moulded decoration, is in the Museum für Islamische Kunst, Berlin (inv.no.I.2134, illustrated in Becker and Kröger 2010, pp.118-9, no.28).