bowl, kärl, skål

Circular body, rounded, inward sloping sides, straight rim rounded base. incised an inlaid decoration. On a floral background, inscriprional band in mamluk naskhi interrupted by five circular medallions(ref. comments). The medallions are composed by a band of floral vine around a six-pointed star. towards bade, band of arabesque finishing by a point. In the plain band between the inscription and the arabesque, owners inscription (ref. comments).
Hole drilled in base.

Inscription, “This is one of the objects that were made for his high excellency our lord, the Great Eremite, the Wise, Försvarare=protector of Faith, the fighter for and the Defender of the frontiers of the Empire (theIslamic) , the Assisted by God, the Victorious, May his Honour be Everlasting ”
Lower part, al-Qasim Ahmad 1093 (1682).
A description of the items aqcuired in Cairo has been established by Ph. Dr. C.J. Lamm.
Äldre bilder av Ove Kaneberg

The bowl has a rounded base, inward-sloping sides and a narrow vertical rim. The decoration of the exterior surface is divided into two horizontal zones based on floral, geometrical and epigraphic elements. In the wide upper zone, a large naskhi inscription is set against a background of arabesque scrolls and leaves interrupted by five roundels containing whirling rhombs within a border of arabesques. The inscription refers to an anonymous amir enumerating the usual titles such as highness, the lordly, the protector and defender of the frontiers or the fortified by God. To judge from the remains, the letters and floral elements were overlaid with silver and the depressed areas were filled with a black substance. Both colours, silver and black, were used to set off the design. Beneath the inscription, there is a narrow plain band, which contains the name of a later owner, al-Qasim ibn Ahmad, and the year AH 1093 (AD 1682) engraved in a cursive script. Towards the base the decoration is edged with an arabesque with lancet leaves. Inside the bowl is completely black. There is a hole drilled in the bottom.

Source: [https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;se;Mus01;14;en&cp]

Original Owner:
The original owner is not known, but in the narrow plain band beneath the inscription zone, the name of a later owner, al-Qasim ibn Ahmad, is engraved with the date AH 1093 (AD 1682)

How date and origin were established:
The shape of the bowl and the inscription were popular with Mamluk amirs throughout the 8th / 14th century in Egypt and Syria. Figurative motifs seem to have gone out of fashion at the end of the 7th / 13th century and the beginning of the 8th / 14th century in favour of bold naskhi inscriptions enumerating the titles of the sultans or amirs.

How Object was obtained:
Gift of the Swedish Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf to the National Museum in 1935. The bowl was purchased by him from Maurice Nahman in Cairo a year before.

How provenance was established:
The vessel has a form typical of Mamluk bowls. The bowl shape and the inscription were popular with Mamluk amirs throughout the 8th / 14th century in Egypt and Syria.

Source: [https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;se;Mus01;14;en&cp]