Candlestick

Unknown

first half 14th century · Brass; engraved and inlaid with silver · Islamic Art

Due to their aesthetic appeal and high cost, inlaid objects were often luxury items in the medieval Islamic world. This base from a candlestick (missing its shaft), engraved and inlaid with silver, belongs to a large number of metalwork pieces from fourteenth-century Iran. Its central band contains four large circular medallions with intervening panels of inscription and smaller medallions. The large medallions include a galloping equestrian figure with a falcon, each representing a different scene from the hunt. Though the figures are stylized, the horse remains central in the overall composition and prominent as a strong, full-bellied animal with Central-Asian features.

Artist

Unknown

Date

first half 14th century

Medium

Brass; engraved and inlaid with silver

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891