Author
unknown
Author Original
مجهول
Publication Date
The first half of the fourteenth century AD
Publication Place
-
Khninko Museum
Subject
Copper alloy (brass), hammered, decorated with relief elements, engraved and inlaid with silver — Unknown
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع : 17 سم القطر : 61 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
156 БВ
Record ID
object;EPM;uc;Mus21;25;ar
Library Location
Khninko Museum
Date
The first half of the fourteenth century AD
Notes
The ablution basin or bath is one of the most commonly used items in the Islamic East. The practical purpose of the piece is evident by the fact that the basin is only decorated from the inside, which means that it is only viewed from above. Whether it is related to washing hands before meals (at banquets) or bathing children - through the decoration system of this piece, it undoubtedly belongs to the collection of users of the elite class. The rich and detailed images, the meticulous, mathematically complex formation and the highest craftsmanship of the engraving, combined with (when executed) the abundant silver inlay, attest that the basin was executed using resources of great value from an artistic, intellectual, material and financial standpoint. The sinuous margin of the basin makes the piece belong to a limited group of vessels made in Iran before the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries AD. The piece reveals the basic ideological concept of Persian culture: the idea of the figure of the king. In the center of the composition is a large medallion with a view of the throne. The king sits on the throne surrounded by two attendants. The ruler holds a drinking cup and a sword (both symbols of royal power). In front of him is a table with a bottle of wine on it. The central scene is surrounded by six smaller medallions with scenes of banquets alternating with hunting scenes. In the undulating inner walls of the basin in the lower row are musicians, dancers and poets, while in the upper space there is a group of real and imaginary birds and painted animals, which together symbolize the cosmic scale of royal power and prosperity. The Mongol costumes and headdresses of the king and his courtiers, as well as images of fantastic Chinese animals with animal bodies, human heads, and mythical unicorns, indicate the global connections of Iranian culture during the Ilkhanid era.
Sample Text
“Ablution Basin” within Discover Islamic Art Collections. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;uc;Mus21;25;ar
