- 104
An Umayyad or Abbasid bronze ewer with carved decoration, Persia, circa 8th century
Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 GBP
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Description
- bronze
the pear-shaped body with thin ribbed neck and flattened rim designed as two birds, the curved handle with dragon-head terminal and rising palmette thumbpiece, chiselled with foliate scrolls around a central split-palmette issuing a lotus bud with engraved details
Condition
In general good condition, some small dents to body, palmette thumb-piece modern replacement, small crack under the base, areas of erosion to surface, 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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
This elegant ewer, which stands out for its complex and rich foliate carved and incised decoration, belongs to a group of ewers attributed to the early Islamic era which retain characteristics of their Sassanian origins and bear testimony to the dissemination of decorative motifs through portable objects in metal and other media. For example, the lotus flower and full palmettes are close in style to those on the capitals and pillars in the sixth-century Sassanian site of Taq-i Bustan (Erdmann, pls. 7-10, 12, and 14).
The present ewer is a particularly fine example of its kind. Further comparable ewers are housed today in important museums and collections, notably the Historical Museum at Tbilissi/Tiflis in Georgia (Baer 1983, p.192, fig.166), the Victoria and Albert Museum (inv. no. 434-1906), the Keir Collection (Fehervari 1967, plate 14, no.50), the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore (Baer 1983, p.135, fig.113), the British Museum (Ward 1993, p.39, no.26), The Museum of Kabul (Rice 1971, p1.176) and the David Collection, Copenhagen (inv. no. 17/2001).
The present ewer is a particularly fine example of its kind. Further comparable ewers are housed today in important museums and collections, notably the Historical Museum at Tbilissi/Tiflis in Georgia (Baer 1983, p.192, fig.166), the Victoria and Albert Museum (inv. no. 434-1906), the Keir Collection (Fehervari 1967, plate 14, no.50), the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore (Baer 1983, p.135, fig.113), the British Museum (Ward 1993, p.39, no.26), The Museum of Kabul (Rice 1971, p1.176) and the David Collection, Copenhagen (inv. no. 17/2001).