
Auction Closed
October 26, 12:30 PM GMT
Estimate
7,000 - 10,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
of rectangular form with lid secured by two metal hinges, the exterior inlaid with micro-mosaic panels of ivory and walnut wood, decorated with interlacing geometric star motifs, chequerboard and roundels, bordered by narrow diamond bands, the interior lid with further geometric inlay and roundels, metal key
51.6 by 36.1 by 22.1cm.
The practice of inlaying ivory into walnut dates back to the Umayyad period and is recorded in both Spain and North Africa. Luxury furniture decorated with micro-mosaics was particularly popular under Nasrid patronage in fourteenth/fifteenth century Spain, and the present casket, though slightly later in date, presents a fine example of the enduring legacy of this tradition.
For a similar example in the collections of the Hispanic Society of America, New York, see H. Ecker, Caliphs and Kings: The Art and Influence of Islamic Spain, Washington, 2004, p.108, no.86.
This lot contains ivory and has been registered as exempt in the UK in accordance with the UK Ivory Act 2018.
You May Also Like