A fine gold- and silver-inlaid cast brass candlestick, Anatolia or Jazira, 13th Century

of bell-form with waisted sides, flattened shoulder and narrow cylindrical neck terminating in a concave moulded socket, engraved and inlaid in silver and some gold, with a black compound rubbed in the ground, the main field of decoration with six roundels enclosing flowerheads separated by small contiguous lobed cartouches each filled with a pair of confronted birds, against a ground of T-fret pattern bordered by minor bands, the stepped foot with further paired birds alternating with lotusheads framed in a cusped or foliated arcade, the same arcade repeated in the drip pan, the neck and socket decorated ensuite with birds in circular medallions against a ground of T-fret pattern

overall good condition with majority of inlay intact, some scratches and patination to the surface, rubbing concentrated around edges and in the drip-pan due to cleaning over many years, the neck drilled in eight places, the holes partly filled, 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."

The present candlestick belongs to the tradition of inlaid metalwork attributed to Mosul, Iraq and Siirt, Anatolia. Both of these centres were famed for their mastery of this technique and the complicated designs which they applied on various objects, including candlesticks of similar form featuring concave sides with flat rim and cylindrical neck and concave socket similar to the body. Mosul was so renowned that many artisans added the nisba al Mawsili (from Mosul) to the end of their name, signalling pride of assocaition with a city celebrated for high-quality metalwork. Giovanni Curatola estimates that there are at least twenty such cases noted in remaining metalwork pieces in his discussion on a vase dated 657 AH/ 1258-9 AD and signed 'Ali ibn Hamud al Mawsili attributed to Mosul (Florence 2002, p.121, no.95).

This vase, now in the Museo Nazionale del Bargello (inv. no. Bg. C 360) is decorated with a silver-inlay pattern consisting of interconnecting 'T' shapes, also found on many pieces dated to a similar time period and attributed to either Mosul or Siirt, notably the present candlestick. The group includes the mso-called 'Blacas' ewer now in the British Museum (inv. no. ME OA 1866.12-29.61). Composed of sheet brass and engraved and inlaid with silver and copper, the 'Blacas' ewer features an inscription around its neck clearly pointing to Mosul as the place of production: 'Decorated by Shuja' ibn Man'a of Mosul in the month of Rajab (April) in the year 649 AH / 1232 AD in Mosul' (Ward 1993, p.80, no.59).

A sub-group of these candlesticks has been attributed to Siirt and/or Konya in Anatolia, notably by the scholars Priscilla Soucek (Soucek 1978, no.70) and Souren Melikian-Chirvani (Melikian-Chirvani 1982, pp.356-357). In his study of a group of candlesticks which share some similar characteristics to the present one, Melikian-Chirvani highlights a number of factors that contribute to an Anatolian attribution, including the fact that they combine technical similarities with stylistic complexity. Such a varied repertoire of decorative motifs can be paralleled with Anatolian architecture of the time whilst not with ornament on Persian monuments (ibid., p.356). Furthermore, the provenance of many of these candlesticks was from Anatolian collections (ibid., p.356).  

However, the candlesticks which Melikian-Chirvani speaks about are not decorated with the characteristic background of interlacing 'T' motifs, but tend instead to feature cartouches containing figures engaged in courtly activities. Even though the present candlestick favours a non-figurative imagery consisting of stylised flowerheads, stems and confronting birds, it is designed with an analogous sequence of lobed cartouches and roundels to form a harmonious design and was probably intended for use in an elite or courtly setting.