A monumental Fatimid marble water jug, Egypt, 10th-12th century

of ovoid form with deeply carved vertical ribs terminating in foliate cusping at the mouth, resting on a flat base

Spink & Son 1977

surface wear and slight patination associated with age, chips to extremities, in very good condition, 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."

Among the most beautiful objects produced in the Fatimid period are a series of monumental carved water jars. Carved almost a thousand years ago from a single block of blue-grey marble, this example would originally have stood in the courtyard of a private house or public building such as a mosque or madrasa. Its humble function contrasts with its powerful presence and majestic form. The simple but elegant shape brings to mind a giant fruit or pod. The vertical ribs and broad shoulders have been rubbed smooth emphasising the tactile beauty of the marble, whilst the blue-grey inclusions provide focal points or energy lines that appeal directly to a modern aesthetic.

The distinctive monumental ovoid form persisted into the Mamluk period (see Vienna 1998, p.192), as did the tradition of endowing religious and other public buildings with water jars and drinking fountains for the pious to perform their ritual ablutions. Details of these charitable endowments are sometimes recorded in inscriptions on the jars (see Atil 1981, pp.219-20, no.112). The lack of an inscription on our jar suggests that it may have been for a private house belonging to a wealthy Cairene or Alexandrian citizen.

Of the few jars of this type that survive in Egypt, the majority are in the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) in Cairo (for example, inv.no.35; see G. Wiet, Album du Musée Arabe du Caire, Cairo, 1930, no.11). One example in the MIA, Cairo is known to have come from the Mosque of al-Mughawir in Alexandria (see Paris 1998, no.125; and Vienna 1998, p.192, no.156). Outside Egypt, jars of this type and scale are extremely rare, indeed virtually unknown. There are two in the Benaki Museum in Athens (inv. nos.10833 and 10831; see Amsterdam 1999, pp.148-9, no.99-100), but they are comparatively squat and inelegant.