Publication Date
Fifth-sixth / eleventh-twelfth centuries
Publication Place
-
Museum of Islamic Art
Subject
Molded bronze, hollow and engraved.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع: 11.5 سم؛ الطول: 14.5 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
I. 1959
Record ID
object;ISL;de;Mus01;9;ar
Library Location
Museum of Islamic Art
Date
Fifth-sixth / eleventh-twelfth centuries
Notes
The value of the diverse Fatimid art is demonstrated through statues such as this hollow statue, which represents a standing lion with a raised tail in the shape of a jug handle and thick hair. Its mouth is open and a water pipe passes through it. The lion is made in an abstract form, its palms are flat, its ribs are drawn straight, and the origins of its ears are drawn like the eye sockets with simple lines. On the surface of the body, in the area of the animal's back, chest and thighs, there are spiral decorations that match the overall impression of the statue. There is clearly engraved writing on both sides of the neck, which is presumed to date back to the thirteenth century AD. The text of the inscription is as follows: drawn by Prince Shams al-Din, the governor of Egypt, who was the ruler of “Egypt,” which at the time meant Cairo and Lower Egypt (Lower Egypt). It is striking that this statue, which depicts a living being, does not seem to be compatible with the Islamic faith. Since the prohibition of photography was not always enforced in the lands of the princes, and given that the Shiite Fatimids tended towards liberalism, these statues were part of the court kiln. There is a statue of a seated lion in the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo. It is possible that this statue, which is now in Berlin, is part of a group of multiple shapes depicting a path to water. It is very similar to the large water fountain made up of lion statues in the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, but due to the small size of this lion, it may be part of a large group of statues, as depicted in Iraqi archives from the thirteenth century AD. Bronze statues similar to this lion were widespread in all regions of the Mediterranean basin, especially in Spain. There is a similar lion preserved in the Louvre Museum in Paris. We can assume that many of these bronze statues were melted and did not remain with the days.
Sample Text
Annette Hagedorn “Lion-shaped water fountain” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;de;Mus01;9;ar
