made of beaten sheet metal, of bulbous form tapering downwards towards the foot which spreads at the bottom, with concave decorated base, the shoulder with raised scalloped collar below the tall slightly flaring cylindrical neck, applied strap handle and straight spout, engraved and inlaid with silver and gold with a bold band of cursive calligraphy around the shoulder interrupted by two roundels enclosing riders hunting and hawking, this combination of inscriptions alternating with figural roundels of hunters is repeated around the neck, the lower body with a lobed arcade of attentuated haloed (possibly Christian) standing figures, some playing intruments, others holding a short staff (or flabellum?), a further frieze of four seated musicians in roundels below the rim, all against scrolled, hatched and key-fret grounds with minor bands inbetween and a further band of calligraphy above the foot, the concave underside with concentric arabesque and inscription bands around a central six-petalled rosette, straight spout and galleried mouth probably later

worn with some cracks, holes and associated repairs but with a reasonable quantity of inlay both silver and gold intact, spout replaced, lip repaired possibly at the same time as the repair to the neck and the spout, recently lightly cleaned to bring out the contrast between the dark ground and the silver inlay, a good exampl, 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 statement made by Sotheby'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

Round the neck in cursive:

afdal al-ni'am ..../ wa al-'izz wa al-majd .../

'The most excellent of graces is .... And Glory and Splendour ....'

Round the neck: undeciphered

Round the shoulder:

'izz li-mawlana al-malik al-a'zam/al-sultan al-salatin malik / riqab al-umam al-'alim al-muja /hyd (sic) al-'adil al-malik al-mama[lik]

'Glory to our Lord, the most Great King, the Sultan of [all] sultans, the one who curbs the necks of nations, the Holy warrior, the Just, the Lord of [all] kingdoms'

Round the base: undeciphered

Under the base: Repetition of lette🌳rsღ, undeciphered

The occurence of what appear to be Christian figures in the silver-inlaid decoration places this ewer firmly amongst the well-documented group of wares with Christian subject-matter attributed to Syria or the Jazira in the first half of the 13th century, notably the canteen in the Freer Gallery of  Art (inv. no. 55.22) (see Atil 1985, no.17 pp.124-136), and the large basin belonging to the same institution in Washington (inv. no.55.10) (ibid., no.18, pp.137-147). The sources for this rich and varied iconography are principally contemporary illustrated Christian ma💙nuscripts made in Syria, of which a number survi🌼ve as testimony.

Esin Atil writes: "The interest in representing Christian themes on inlaid metalwork, unique to the Ayyubid period, reflects the multifaceted society of the age, and the interaction between the Muslim and Christian communities. The patrons of these pieces representing Christian themes are anonymous; the exceptions are a🌺 tray in the Lou❀vre and a basin in the Freer Gallery, both made for the last Ayyubid sultan, Najm al-Din." (ibid., p.132).