Basin engraved with scenes from Iranian legend as well as Mongol imperial symbols, Iran, 1300-20.

Raised brass basin, in the form of a twenty-pointed star shape, decorated with engraved champlevé designs inlaid with silver and gold, details engraved over the silver foil. Hatched ground inlaid with black.
Patina: brassy yellow. Traces of tin soldering along the circular edge of the bottom.

Layout of design:
On the interior of the base;
a large central roundel is surrounded by six other roundels, their diameter shorter by a half. The central roundel symbolizes a pool containing fishes. The six smaller roundels contain episodes from the Shah-Name. They are interspersed with epigraphic cartouches containing animal scenes. A narrow band of formal ornament isolates this arrangement from the main composition on the walls.

[The pool; 11 fishes dart in whirling movement towards an eight-lobed rosette (toranj), 11 other fishes form a radiating pattern while rows of fishes with curving bodies, swimming in every direction, circle around this composition. 3 small rosettes repeating the central design are engraved at regular intervals near the rim. 3 swans (?) swim near the rim. The pool may represent the Fount of Life or the sun.

Intervals between the six smaller roundels; in 4 of the 5 elongated panels closest to the central pool, ducks and geese swim amongst formal vegetal patterns including lotus blossoms and streamer-like bands of waves. In the 5th panel, 2 hares in a rocky landscape. In the 5 panels further from the centre, 4 feature flying geese amongst lotus blossoms and flowers with 3 pansy-like petals, in the 5th are parakeets.

The six roundels; enclose images probably relating to the life of Bahram Gur.
They are arranged into two groups, in each a central medallion featuring a dromedary flanked by a medallion containing a bird with flowing tails (the Simorgh?) and another with a dragon. In the first trio, the central medallion features a woman in a howdah. In the second, a hunter mounted on a dromedary shoots an arrow whilst a female harpist sits behind him. this probably represnts Bahram Gur and Azade.]

On the walls, 20 rectangular panels enclose animal scenes to form a frieze in the lower half. It is separated from the upper register by a narrow band of formal ornament. The upper half contains elongated cartouches, with trilobed ends, each one spreading over two facets, that alternately frame five figurative scenes (a wild life scene and four scenes of court figures in conversation with masters of the hunt) and epigraphic sections in naskhi script.

[The 20 rectangular panels;
1) female gazelle amongst flowers with 3 pansy-like petals, lotus blossoms and bamboo trees
2) bear on hind legs reaching for blossoming sprigs of a tree
3) an animal - jackal? hyena?- howling at a gesticulating ape
4) feline (?) stalking invisible prey among bamboo-trees
5) animal looking over shoulder at latter feline
6) humped bull among trees and large flowers
7) female gazelle amongst large lotus flowers
8) cheetah stalking invisible prey amongst bamboo trees
9) female gazelle amogst lotus flowers
10) female gazelle walking on rocks among trees, looking over shoulder at latter
11) 2 bear cubs, playing on rocks
12) 2 other bears on rocks
13) a female gazelle walking over rocks
14) 2 female gazelles
15) 2 hares sitting on rocks
16) 2 hares in almost identical posture
17) a dog-like animal running
18) a hooded animal (tame chettah?), looking back
19) a human-faced, winged lioness
20) another, looking back.

Upper register, 5 figurative scenes;
1. 2 pairs of geese by a pool, above them geese and parrots fly among leafy branches
2. A ruler with 3-pointed crown holds a quiver, his attendants include falconers.
3. A royal pair on a throne. An attendant with a goose in the crook of his right arm presents an upheld sprig with his left. Includes a representation of a table with a bottle.
4. Pricely figure, wearing a Mongol head-dress, is seated on a throne, with a bird on his left fist and a bow in his right hand. One attendant is profeering him a fruit, another carries a hawk and a staff with 3 crescents and a forked finial.
5. A princely figure on a throne holds a fruit in their hand. An attendant, wearing the royal crown, presents a fruit and a goose. Another attendant holds up a round fruit and a further leads a cheetah on a leash.
6. A court lady, wearing a Mongol head-dress, seated on a throne. An attendant waves a palm leaf fan. A figure holding a sceptre with curving bird-head finial and wearing the royal 3-pointed crown gestures towrds her.]

Historical significance: This basin, although very worn, is a key-piece for the history of Iranian metalwork after the Mongolian invasion. Its shape is directly derived from prototypes that were produced in large numbers in Eastern Iran during the late 12th to early 13th century.The type is one of several that Iranian craftsmen of the Mongol period took over from the earlier schools of the 12th century.

However, the layout of surface design differs widely from that of earlier vessels. No other metal vessel carrying a similar sequence of images from the cycle of Bahram Gur's hunts has survived.

Much of the decoration is borrowed from a Chinese repetoire of ornament, including bamboo-trees and lotus blossoms. Furthermore, the floral and vegetal elements are used as landscape features in a manner reminiscent of the manuscript, the 'Utility of the Animals', dated 1297-8 or 1299.

probably made in Western Iran.

The engraved decoration on this large brass basin was originally inlaid with silver and gold. Here, as is often the case, the inlay of precious metal has been picked out.

Basins with this dramatic shape were being made in Iran before the Mongol conquest in the years 1256 to 1258. However, the decoration on this example includes the Chinese dragon and phoenix associated with Mongol imperial power. The Chinese element is matched by scenes of Iranian origin, such as King Bahram Gur hunting with the harpist Azadah.

546-1905