Publication Date
Circa 391-452/1000-1060
Publication Place
-
Victoria and Albert Museum
Subject
Engraved crystal stone.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع: 19.4 سم؛ القطر: عند القاعدة 9 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
7904–1862
Record ID
object;ISL;uk;Mus02;1;ar
Library Location
Victoria and Albert Museum
Date
Circa 391-452/1000-1060
Notes
A jug carved from a single piece of crystal stone with a pear-shaped body, an outward-facing lip, a slightly sloping base, and a lug connecting the lip to the lower part of the body that originally had a vertical piece for the thumb at the top. The body of the jug is decorated on both sides with the same scene of a predatory bird attacking a four-legged animal with horns, possibly a deer. The scenes are framed by broad, leafy arabesque patterns, and the entire design is contained within an elaborate, smooth band running around the neck and body on both sides of the loop, which serves as a frame and gives the design the appearance of a fabric wrapped around the body of the jug. Details, including the fabric, have been carefully engraved in the form of lines and dots covering the bird, animal, and leaves of the arabesque patterns. Pieces like this jug were among thousands of valuables looted from the Fatimid treasury during the turmoil of AH 450/AD 1060. Many of them found their way to Europe, where they were used to store religious relics in churches.
Sample Text
Barry Wood “Jug” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;uk;Mus02;1;ar
