Engraved brass kashkûl alms bowl, Safavid Iran, late 16th ce - Lot 142

Engraved brass kashkûl alms bowl, Safavid Iran, late 16th century (published) Individual naviform drinking bowl in cast brass, the stern featuring a chimera figure in the round, its head turned towards its hindquarters and fitted with a suspension ring holding a double chain with braided links, linking it to the bow decorated with an openwork ring. Underneath, a pouring spout in another alloy replaced later, probably in the Qâjâr period. Under the lip, a calligraphic frieze in Persian muhaqqaq engraved on an amati background in a grid pattern: a Shiite invocation calling down God's grace on the Fourteen Most Pure. Also, inscriptions under the hull in two floriated cartouches extending from the stern and bow, celebrating 'Alî. Another suspension ring on one side of the hull, below the frieze of inscriptions. Length: 33.5 cm A few scratches and small dents, small traces of oxidation, small crack at the edge of one lip, traces of soldering on the spout. This brass kashkûl, a true naviform drinking cup, completes a rare series of pieces from the Safavid period. The gold-colored material, the elegant vessel shape with a lip underlined by an epigraphic band featuring beautiful Muhaqqaq calligraphy on an amati background, and the presence of a fantastic figure in the round at one end, are all features common to these few pieces attributed to the 16th century. Our object can be compared with a kashkûl from the Hâshem Khosrovânî collection in Geneva, also engraved with Shiite invocations and prayers to 'Alî, but finished with two dragon heads rather than a winged lion. These two dragon heads were also chosen from a piece signed by the Türk ve Islam Eserleru Müzesi of Istanbul, reproduced in the article by A. S. Melikian-Chirvani (pl. I - VI), which also features beautiful inscriptions under its lip, this time of a Koranic and poetic nature. According to the art historian, the singularity of our piece comes from the presence of a pouring spout, absent from all other known brass models. Although this is a later accessory, as indicated by the soldering, a spout does seem to have been originally provided on this individual drinking cup. PUBLICATION: MELIKIAN-CHIRVANI, Assadullah Souren, "Le Kashkûl safavide, vaisseau à vin de l'initiation mystique" in CALMARD, Jean (dir.), Études Safavides (Extrait), pp. 188-191, pl. VIII-X, figs. 13-16, Bibliothèque iranienne 39, Institut Français de Recherche en Iran, Paris - Téhéran, 1993. A Safavid Brass Begging Bowl, Kashkûl, Iran, late 16th Century (published)