A FARS SILVER AND COPPER INLAID BRASS BOWL, IRAN, 14TH - 15TH CENTURY Of typical form with rounded base and long sloping shoulder rising to a straight rim, the shoulder engraved and neatly inlaid in silver depicting an inscription above a foliate design and decorated with copper inlaid blossoms. The rim with a band of interlocking S-shaped designs in alternating silver and copper inlay.

Inscriptions: To the body, 'Shift your stirrups away from Damascus, as it is a city that submits and obeys to lions.'

Provenance: US trade in New Braunfels, Texas.
Condition: Very good condition with some old wear, few nicks and dents, and light surface scratches. Fine, naturally grown patina overall.

Weight: 1,064 g
Dimensions: Diameter 20.5 cm (at the widest points)

Expert's note: Adham Al Jundi, in Flags of Literature and Art, volume 2, Dar al Muqtab, 2015, pages 53-55, attributes the verse on the present bowl to a poet, Hussain bin Ahmad Al Warnali (1858-1933). Given the fact that the bowl itself clearly speaks for a much earlier date than the 19^th century, with its distinct signs of wear and usage as well as a high level of craftsmanship in the casting, incision work and metal inlays, it seems reasonable to assume that Al Warnali may in fact have borrowed the verse from a prior oeuvre, most likely of unknown authorship.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie's London, 5 October 2010, lot 173
Price: GBP 18,750 or approx. EUR 32,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Fars silver and gold inlaid brass bowl, West Iran, 14th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and fine inlaid details

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's London, 6 October 2010, lot 167
Price: GBP 8,125 or approx. EUR 13,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Fars gold and silver-Inlaid bowl, Persia, mid-14th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and fine inlaid details Expert’s note: Adham Al Jundi, in Flags of Literature and Art, volume 2, Dar al Muqtab, 2015, pages 53-55, attributes the verse on the present bowl to a poet, Hussain bin Ahmad Al Warnali (1858-1933). Given the fact that the bowl itself clearly speaks for a date no later than the 19th century, with its distinct signs of wear and usage as well as a high level of craftsmanship in the casting, incision work, and metal inlays, it seems reasonable to assume that Al Warnali may in fact have borrowed the verse from a prior oeuvre, most likely of unknown authorship.