Arts of the Islamic World & India including Fine Rugs and Carpets
Arts of the Islamic World & India including Fine Rugs and Carpets
An inscribed Khurasan feline-form bronze incense burner, Persia, 12th century
Auction Closed
October 27, 03:41 PM GMT
Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
standing on all fours in a slightly crouched posture with large paws, hinged head, detailed facial features, including engraved whiskers, open eyes and pointed ears, the neck and body pierced throughout with vine scrolls, upward pointing stylised foliate tail, inscription to body
24 by 22 by 9.5cm.
Please note that there may be restrictions on the import of property of Iranian
origin into the United States and some or all member countries of the Gulf Co-
Operation Council. Any buyers planning to import property of Iranian origin
into any of these countries should satisfy themselves of the relevant import regime
with the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) or the Gulf Co-Operation
Council. Sotheby's will not assist buyers with the shipment of such items into the
USA or countries of the Gulf Co-Operation Council. In addition, Fedex and US
courier services will no longer carry Iranian-origin goods to any location. Any
shipment services would need to be provided by a Fine Art shipping company.
Private collection, UK, 1980s.
inscriptions
‘Blessing and good-fortune and joy to its owner’
Feline-form incense burners of this form were produced in Khurasan during the twelfth century. Designed as a stylised feline lioness, it stands above other purely functional burners.
Incense burners arrived in Islamic culture via the Byzantines, but as time wore on, Persian ornamentation came to influence their production, as illustrated by this fine example. Although Khurasanian metalworkers produced incense burners in numerous animal forms, it is these feline types that are deemed the most outstanding.
Similar examples to the present work can be found in various public and private collections including The David Collection, Copenhagen (inv. no.48/1981), Musee du Louvre, Paris (inv. no.AA 19), the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, and the Nasser D. Khalili Collection, London, (inv. no.MTW 1525). Michael Rodgers suggests that this latest example may have been used as a pomander rather than incense burner which would have been too complicated to refill frequently with coals and incense. Rather, it would have contained a type of ambergris paste with spices to scent the air (Rogers 2010, cat.98, pp.94-95).
This lot is accompanied by a metallurgical report from Dr Peter Northover of the University of Oxford.
‘Blessing and good-fortune and joy to its owner’
Feline-form incense burners of this form were produced in Khurasan during the twelfth century. Designed as a stylised feline lioness, it stands above other purely functional burners.
Incense burners arrived in Islamic culture via the Byzantines, but as time wore on, Persian ornamentation came to influence their production, as illustrated by this fine example. Although Khurasanian metalworkers produced incense burners in numerous animal forms, it is these feline types that are deemed the most outstanding.
Similar examples to the present work can be found in various public and private collections including The David Collection, Copenhagen (inv. no.48/1981), Musee du Louvre, Paris (inv. no.AA 19), the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, and the Nasser D. Khalili Collection, London, (inv. no.MTW 1525). Michael Rodgers suggests that this latest example may have been used as a pomander rather than incense burner which would have been too complicated to refill frequently with coals and incense. Rather, it would have contained a type of ambergris paste with spices to scent the air (Rogers 2010, cat.98, pp.94-95).
This lot is accompanied by a metallurgical report from Dr Peter Northover of the University of Oxford.