Publication Date
21-541/ 27-1146
Publication Place
-
British Museum
Subject
Gilded glass.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
العرض 15.7 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
1906.7-19.1
Record ID
object;ISL;uk;Mus01;8;ar
Library Location
British Museum
Date
21-541/ 27-1146
Notes
Parts of a beaker made of gilded glass. Gold dust was sprinkled on it and fixed with an adhesive. Then the beaker was grilled slightly in order to attach the gilding to the surface of the glass. Finally, the decorations were rubbed into the gold with a needle. This technique appears to have replaced the luster glass technique after the 5th/11th century. Pictorial designs fill the upper and lower bands. In the upper section, two women appear dancing and playing the harp and castanets as they stand between pomegranate trees, and in the lower section, eagles appear with their wings spread among the pomegranate trees as well. In the middle of the beaker there is an inscription in cursive letters bearing the name of the ruler of Mosul, Imad ad-Din Zengi, who ruled in the period 12-541 / 28-1146, and who appointed an atabeg (meaning father in Turkish), or a governor or protector, in the service of a young Seljuk prince. The Atabeg/Zengid dynasty continued to expand its power and influence until Nur al-Din ibn Zengi captured Damascus in AH 549/AD 1154 and established an independent state.
Sample Text
Emily Shovelton “Fragments of a Beaker” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;uk;Mus01;8;ar
