Publication Date
Third quarter of the thirteenth century
Publication Place
-
Museum of Indian Art
Subject
Bronze inlaid with gold and silver.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
القطر: 15سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
MIK 2774
Record ID
object;ISL;de;Mus01;25;ar
Library Location
Museum of Islamic Art
Date
Third quarter of the thirteenth century
Notes
On the perforated upper surface of the incense burner are depictions representing the atmosphere of the court as it was used in Mosul since 1220. On the upper part of this piece we see six figures in relief: the crowned knight with a cup of wine in his hand, the knight carrying the goshawk, and the lion hunter, in addition to three musicians sitting cross-legged with tambourines, a flute, and a lute in their hands. The slightly flattened hemisphere bears a drawing of the sun with its rays emanating from it. On the bottom section we see drawings representing appropriate topics. In the middle are drawings representing two rows of running animals. The decorative elements are covered with gold and silver. Although most of the gold is used to fill some holes without the purpose of decoration, the silver fillings form the basis for detailed drawings of clothing, hairstyles, bodies, animals, and some plant elements. These reliefs were placed in front of a base of symmetrical arabesque works. The halo behind the heads of the people in the drawing does not indicate their sanctity, but rather with the aim of highlighting them clearly in the drawing. It is expected that one of the princes was the one who requested the making of this incense burner, as is the case with an incense burner preserved in the British Museum in London, which has an inscription indicating the name of the person who requested it to be made. Syria witnessed widespread prosperity at that time, and it is likely that many pieces, such as incense burners, were made in Damascus after this type of production in Mosul declined significantly after the death of the ruler Badr al-Din Lulu in 1233. The Mongols invaded Damascus in the years 1260 and 1300, and it is believed that this piece was made between those two years. The technique from the inside is that of a suspended brass plate in which incense is burned. In the middle of two moving rings that are centrally linked to each other, the newspaper remains in a horizontal position. It is assumed that the technical foundations of this mechanism were known in the Islamic East in the thirteenth century. The floating compass, which remains in a horizontal position, was mentioned and was described by the Yemeni ruler, King Al-Ashraf, in the year 690/1291. The technically complex water clock was also known around 1230, and this type of suspension was also known in the Western world after the discoverer Girolamo Cardano of Milan (1501-1576) and was later called the “Cardano suspension.” A spherical incense burner like this indicates the high lifestyle of that time, so it is believed that these incense burners were also used among the court to warm hands.
Sample Text
Annette Hagedorn "Incense burner" in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;de;Mus01;25;ar
