Siculo-Arabic, 12th century

with a label inscribed: Pierre Bérès, Paris on the underside

By repute the treasury of the Abbey of Grandmont, near Limoges, until circa 1790;
Baron Alphonse James de Rothschild, Paris, until circa 1905;
Pierre Bérès, Paris, circa 1932;
Private collection, France;
Alain Moatti, Paris

Overall the condition of the casket is good. There is wear, dirt, staining and some minor scratching to the surface consistent with age and handling. Much of the red polychromy is lost from the engraved decoration and the gilding on the mounts is rubbed. There is some stable hairline splitting visible on the surface consistent with material. The right side and right rear corner of the lid and the casket have inserted strips of ivory. There is a loss to the other rear corner and side of the lid. There are some minor stable fissures around hinges on the lid. There is a break to one of the hinge straps on the top of the lid. The lock has been replaced.
"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."

According to tradition, Pierre Bérès believed that this object was once part of the treasury in the Abbey of Grandmont. The abbey was founded by St. Etienne de Muret in 1076 but was closed in 1790 by the Bishop of Limoges, Mgr. du Plessis d'Argentré. The treasury was probably dispersed on that occasion. Koechlin (op.cit.) notes that the 1496 inventory of the treasury at Grandmont  mentions eight ivory caskets, each mounted in brass and painted with little birds, and supposes these must be Siculo-Arabic.

These caskets are believed to have been made in Palermo by Muslim craftsmen during the 12th-century Norman occupation. The tear-shaped mounts act both as highly decorative features of the whole and as supports for the delicate and fragile ivory walls. The small ring and dot motifs that feature at intervals around the casket in the form of small cruciform repeat patterns can also be found on chess pieces and other ivory objects dated to 11th- and 12th-century Sicily.

An analagous casket was sold in these rooms on 7 December 2010, lot 1. Another example was also sold at Sotheby's on 9 April 2008, lot 83. Other Siculo-Arabic caskets can be found in major institutions including the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore (inv. no. 71.310) and the Doha Museum (inv. no. iv.03.97).

RELATED LITERATURE
R. Koechlin, Les ivoires gothiques français, Paris, 1924, vol. I, p. 473, n. 2; R. H. Randall Jr, Masterpieces of Ivory From the Walters Art Gallery, London, 1985, no. 232, pp. 158-159; M. Rosser-Owen, Ivory. 8th to 17th centuries. Treasures from the Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar, Doha, 2004, no. 5, pp. 24-29