A fine and rare Ottoman silver-gilt tankard, Turkey or the Balkans, second half 16th century

with subglobular body on an everted foot, a cylindrical slightly tapered neck, an applied curved dragon-form handle, hammered, engraved and chased, the body and neck decorated in shallow relief with two broad bands of spiralling scrolls with lotusheads, palmettes and leaves on a ring-matted ground, the base engraved with Greek inscriptions

Patination consistent with age, very good condition, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any stat.mes nt made by Replica Shoes 's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

inscriptions:
Greek inscription to the base, undeciphered.

A small number of comparable silver-gilt tankards of this type survive. The recorded examples are held in the following institutions:
1. Victoria and Albert Museum, London (inv. no.158-1894), published Petsopoulos 1982, pl.18.
2. Hermitage, St Petersburg (inv. no.NT.358), published Petsopoulos 1982, fig.7c, p.25.
3. David collects ion, Copenhagen (inv. no.15/1986), published von Folsach 2001, no.531, p.330.
4. David collects ion, Copenhagen (inv. no.11/1991), published von Folsach 2001, no.532, p.330.
5.-7. Three examples in The Benaki Museum, Athens (inv. no.14000), unpublished.
8. Monastery of Ipsilos Mytileni, Lesbos, published Mytilena Sacra, vol.A, Thessaloniki, 1970.
9.-11. Three examples in monasteries in Mount Athos, to be published by Dr Yota Papadopoulos.
12. Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, sold at Replica Shoes 's, 16-17 April 1985, lot 126, published Allan 2002, no.27, pp.84-5, and Atil 1987, fig.52, p.122.
13. Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, sold at Replica Shoes 's, 13 October 2004, lot 161.
14. National Museum, Bucharest (inv. no.M 1651) from the Bistrea Monastery, Vilcea, published Nicolescu 1968.
15. Old Serbian Orthodox Church, Sarajevo, published Filipovic 1966.
16. Replica Shoes 's, 22-23 October 1992, lot 169, private collects ion.
17. Historical Museum, Moscow, unpublished.

This tankard encapsulates the internationalism of Ottoman art in the sixteenth century, combining forms and techniques from both east and west. The military annexation of the Balkans brought access to the rich silver mines of Bosnia and Serbia and a plentiful supply of raw materials, whilst Ottoman campaigns to the east brought an influx of craft.mes n and artefacts from Safavid Persia and the former Timurid strongholds of Khurasan.

The ancestry of the shape is Central Asian. The bulbous form with serpentine handle can be traced back to fifteenth-century Timurid models (see Lentz & Lowry 1989, no.57, p.161) which in turn were inspired by precious metal vessels produced under Mongol patronage in the territories of the Golden Horde and other Mongol domains. The body of the Timurid prototype is more rounded or spherical, but the neck, handle and base are a close match. However, whereas the Timurid craft.mes n had worked in the inlay technique of their Khurasanian forebears, the craft.mes n employed under Ottoman patronage adopted the decorative repertory of the Balkan ateliers, embossing, engraving and punching the surface to create a high-relief effect that is further enhanced by the deliberate darkening of the ground. The reserve technique with meandering scrolls is a provincial variant of the "Abraham of Kutahya" style that characterised Ottoman court production in the early decades of the sixteenth century.