Publication Date
596-647/1200-1250
Publication Place
-
British Museum
Subject
Molded brass, engraved and inlaid with silver and gold.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع 20 سم؛ العرض 12.5 سم؛ العمق 12.5 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
1878.12-30.679
Record ID
object;ISL;uk;Mus01;13;ar
Library Location
British Museum
Date
596-647/1200-1250
Notes
A circular incense burner made of brass with a hinged dome-shaped lid and three legs carved in the shape of horse hooves. The lid is perforated to allow smoke to escape. There are Christian figures with halos surrounding their heads and carrying ritual objects, including a cross and an incense burner. The lobed arches appear on the body and lid of the incense burner. All the figures, except one, are facing clockwise. The men and women wear long-sleeved abayas that reach almost to the ankles, with a shawl draped over the right shoulder. They are all bareheaded except for one who wears a turban and carries a cross. The medallion, which does not contain any figure and is located between busy brackets, may be the place of the bra. There is a blessing inscription in Kufic script around the top of the lid addressed to an unknown owner. This incense burner belongs to a group of metal pieces bearing Christian images that were made during the Ayyubid era, and may have been made for Muslim or Christian shepherds. Given the high quality of this incense burner, it is clear that it was not mass-produced for domestic use, but was most likely made for the use of a wealthy patron. The shape of the incense burner goes back to Byzantine traditions that remained popular in Egypt and Syria during the seventh and eighth / thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.
Sample Text
Emily Shovelton "Incense burner" in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;uk;Mus01;13;ar
