Casket
13th century-14th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Cylindrical casket in ivory. This example of a casket is unusually large, and has exceptionally well-preserved decorations. It is of Siculo Arabic origin, dating from the 13th-14th century.
Siculo Arabic is also called Sicilian Arabic and refers to a style and language spoken in Sicily and Malta from the 9th to the 14th century, when Sicily was ruled by the Arabs.
Siculo Arabic is also called Sicilian Arabic and refers to a style and language spoken in Sicily and Malta from the 9th to the 14th century, when Sicily was ruled by the Arabs.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Carved ivory with gilt metal mounts |
| Brief description | Casket, cylindrical, carved ivory with remains of painted and gilded decoration and gilt metal mounts, Siculo-Arabic, 13th to 14th century |
| Physical description | Cylindrical carved ivory casket with remains of painted and gilded decoration. The feet and mounts of gilt metal. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | Jameel Gallery
Cylindrical Ivory Casket
Sicily or southern Italy
1100–1200
This casket is made from a cross-section of an elephant’s tusk. The large diameter shows that the ivory is from an African elephant. This luxury material reached Europe from the Islamic world. The connection is underlined by the decoration, which once included an inscription in Arabic on either side of the lockplate.
Ivory, painted and gilded, with gilt bronze mounts
Museum no. 425-1906
(2016) |
| Object history | From Dudley B Myers, for £50. Historical significance: A group of circular caskets of this kind survive. This example is unusually large, and has exceptionally well-preserved decoration. |
| Production | Siculo-Arabic |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Cylindrical casket in ivory. This example of a casket is unusually large, and has exceptionally well-preserved decorations. It is of Siculo Arabic origin, dating from the 13th-14th century. Siculo Arabic is also called Sicilian Arabic and refers to a style and language spoken in Sicily and Malta from the 9th to the 14th century, when Sicily was ruled by the Arabs. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 425-1906 |
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| Record created | October 27, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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