Basin, Egypt or Syria, late 15th - early 16th century Large, truncated cone-shaped basin with concave base, in hammered copper, finely chased on the entire outer wall with a decoration in several registers. A wide central band alternates between medallions and knotted, poly-lobed cartouches: the six medallions feature a design of interlocking Ys surrounded by a round of spiral foliage; the six large cartouches are decorated alternately with a latticework of palmettes and a calligraphic design in Arabic thuluth in reserve on a squared background. Between these cartouches and medallions are spandrels furnished with interlocking Ys. On either side of this central entablature run two braided friezes punctuated by rosettes. The one at the bottom is highlighted by a frieze of interlacing finished with fleurons, while under the lip runs a frieze of fleurons arranged in staggered rows and linked by a wavy, leafy stem. Diam. of opening: 48 cm; diam. of base: approx. 60 cm; height: 27.5 cm Wear, traces of oxidation, a few bumps and cracks, faded tin plating in places, dampening on the bottom, one old restoration. Provenance : Former collection of Michael Pacha Portakalian (1842-1897), high-ranking official at the court of Sultan Abdulhamid II, then by descent. This type of basin with engraved decoration is part of a well-documented production in the Syrian and Egyptian regions of the Mamluk world between the 15th century and the Ottoman conquest. Our anonymous piece shares the same characteristics as well-known objects in international collections, such as basin MAO 851 from the Musée du Louvre in Paris and basin 1957-0802.2 from the British Museum in London. What these three pieces have in common is a sloping wall resting on a concave base, a rather imposing format, and a decorative scheme alternating medallions and cartouches and combining calligraphic elements, palmettes, fleurons and woven friezes. As with many pieces of the period, this basin was tin-plated at the time of manufacture. This may suggest a cooking function for these large-diameter objects.