Venetian Empire, 16th century

Overall the condition of the bowl is very good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The lion mask handles are probably later additions. They are fixed to the bowl with plugs visible at the interior, and there are remnants of solder around the edges of the masks. There is minor oxidation to the silver inlay, in particular to the silver figural scenes. There are a few small lacunae, including to the lion masks, and there are some minor nicks and scratches, particularly around the base. There are felt stickers to the underside and remnants of stickers. There are also some abrasions to the underside. There is some rubbing and staining, as well as some residue, to the interior.
"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 impressive, large, and finely engraved bronze serving bowl was made in Venice or her Empire between circa 1550 and 1600. It relates closely to a category of metalwork traditionally known as Veneto-Saracenic ware, which is characterised by the technique of inlaying precious silver, gold or black compound onto brass within intricate and all-consuming decorative schemes of arabesques and other abstract motifs. Initially made in the Levant and Persia and subsequently thought to have been manufactured in Northern Italy, this type of metalwork was much sought-after in Europe during the 15^th and 16^thcenturies. The fashion for these exotic objects is believed to have been introduced to the Occident through the vibrant trading centre of Renaissance Venice, with her strong links to the Mamluk Sultinate and the Ottoman Empire, and is recorded in numerous contemporary accounts, including the writings of Benvenuto Cellini.

Sylvia Auld, in her canonical work on the subject, Renaissance Venice, Islam and Mahmud The Kurd, has organised the metalwork into three principal categories. The first includes objects dating from the last decades of the Mamluk Sultinate, circa 1450-1517, and is characterised by decoration in the form of geometric interlace, the use of European object shapes and the absence of inscriptions. The second group was probably made for export to Europe by Iranian or Turkish masters and is recognisable through the use of silver wire inlays which expand across the surface in a ‘curvilinear network of medallions and scrolls’ (Contadini, op. cit., p. 312). The third group constitutes European imitations, possibly made by Muslim craftsmen living in Venice, but probably the work of Venetian masters creating free interpretations in a fashionable Eastern style. These European wares use the same inlay technique and a similar decorative vocabulary of arabesques and interlace, but are distinct in the way the decoration is laid out: compartmentalised within definite borders as opposed to stretching out seemingly infinitely.

The present bowl relates to the so-called Veneto-Saracenic tradition in covering all visible surfaces in beautifully incised and intricate decorative motifs. However, as with the majority of such metalwork made in Venice from the middle of the 16th century, the present bowl is made of bronze with applied silver decoration. This use of silver decoration is directly inspired by the Islamic technique of silver inlay. The two tiers of garlands which wrap around the belly of the bowl find a close comparison in those adorning a brass charger inlaid with silver in the Courtauld Gallery (inv. no. O.1966.GP.202), which Auld has categorised as falling into her third group. Note, in particular, the same crossed silver bindings which appear on the garlands at regular intervals. In terms of the grotesque and foliate decoration, which surplant the predominant arabesques in the Islamic metalwares, the present bowl finds strong comparisons in the service with a salver, ewer and eight candlesticks sold in these rooms of 3 December 2014, lot 69 (£122,500 aggregate). The present bowl displays particularly fine engraving and carefully considered details, such as the subtle silver daisies which articulate the undulating scalloped decoration between the bands of garlands.

RELATED LITERATURE
S. Melikian-Chirvani, Islamic Metalwork from the Iranian World. 8-18^th Centuries, exh. cat. Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982; J. W. Allan, Metalwork of the Islamic World: The Aron Collection, London, 1986; S. Auld, Renaissance Venice, Islam and Mahmud the Kurd: A metalworking enigma, London, 2004, pp. 7-9, 54-70, 215-267, 288-301; A. Contadini, ‘Middle-Eastern objects,’ M. Ajmar-Wollheim and F. Dennis, At Home in Renaissance Italy, exh. cat. Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2006, pp. 308-321; J. Warren, The Wallace Collection: Catalogue of Italian Sculpture, vol. i, London, 2016, pp. 318-321, no. 66