Author
Ahmed.
Author Original
أحمد
Publication Date
872-901/ 68-1496
Publication Place
-
Victoria and Albert Museum
Subject
Yellow brass inlaid with silver and perhaps red copper.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع: 47.6 سم؛ العرض: 36 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
762–1900
Record ID
object;ISL;uk;Mus02;21;ar
Library Location
Victoria and Albert Museum
Date
872-901/ 68-1496
Notes
A large jug made of hammered brass sheets inlaid with silver. It has a wide opening, a round body, and a wide base, in addition to a loop connecting the neck and the body. The mouth is long and thin and has a polygonal opening, and there is a bulbous element attached to the neck that may have been added later. In addition to the prominent ring with a trefoil design around the bottom of the neck, the decoration generally consists of engravings and inlaid silver. While the loop and mouth are decorated with simple arabesques, most of the neck and body are decorated with distinctive small scenes in which real and mythical animals such as lions, deer, rabbits, birds, and even elephants appear among palm trees and highly decorated plants. The large inscription around the upper part of the body states that the jug was made for the wife of Sultan Qaytbay, whose name was Fatima. Unlike the rest of the decorations, the inscription was not inlaid with silver, but rather the letters were left smooth and polished, and the spaces between the letters were filled with simple dense arabesques, which gave a contrasting ground. There is another inscription at the bottom of the base stating that the ewer was made by a craftsman named Ahmed. The figurative decorations on the ewer contrast nicely with the type of decoration that usually appears on pieces made during the religious rule of Qaytbay, which usually bears relief inscription or abstract decoration without any figurative decorations that were detestable according to his doctrine. Examples include the brass basin made for the sultan (UK2 13) and the pulpit on which his name is mentioned (UK2 10). The pictorial scenes on the Fatima jug certainly indicate that it was made by special request for personal use, and the scenes of animals among the trees reflect images mentioned in Arabic poetry, and may be intended to create a religious connection to God.
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;21;ar
