A bronze cauldron, Kubachi, Daghestan, second half 14th century or later

cast in deep rounded form supported on three short faceted feet, the narrow horizontal rim extending in four places to pointed flanges with circular terminals, a pair of handles of u-shape on two of these flanges diametrically opposed and each embellished with three disc-form finials, each flange decorated with pairs of mythical beasts separated by an elaborate stylized motif of etiolated split palmettes, the rim with scrolling stylized foliage enclosing palmettes, two of the flanges with a pair of raised bands forming pouring mouths, the exterior plain, the base with remnants of extrusion from casting

good condition, cleaned and waxed, as viewed
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The form itself is known in its earliest appearance in ceramic from an example excavated at Nishapur (Melikian-Chirvani 1982, p. 49). The earliest examples in metal probably date from the 10th or 11th century and, though of very similar form to the present example, carry simpler decoration and lack the black patination. An example in the Victoria and Albert Museum has only one pouring spout, enunciated in the same way as on this example, with two raised bands. Of its four flanges, only two are decorated, one with a champlevé inscription with the maker's name, and the other with typically Khurasanian motifs (Melikian-Chirvani 1982, p.48-9, no.10). The Victoria and Albert Museum also retains a later Khurasanian example, thought to be mid- to late 13th century (Melikian-Chirvani 1982, p.180, no.80). Again the form is very close and the decoration is also similar with a maker's name on one flange and six-pointed stars on another. Lot 26 also belongs to this group.

The style of decoration and black patination that appear on the present example have become associated with Kubachi, a village on the eastern slope of the Caucasus mountains (detailed in Allan 2002, p.88, from Ivanov 1976, pp.199-207). Cauldrons with this form of animal decoration, and sometimes with humans, can have this hemispherical or near-spherical form. An example of the latter, with very closely related decoration to that found on the present example is now in the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha (Allan 2002, p.88, no.28). The flanges and rim are covered in pairs of confronting beasts and etiolated split palmettes, but it lacks a pouring lip. By comparison to Kubachi tombstones, Ivanov has arrived at a 14th-century dating for these spherical cauldrons. The similarity of the cauldron in Doha to the present example argues strongly that this must be of a similar date. The pouring lips on the present example have become decorative motifs rather than functional elements.