Casket with Painted Roundels

Unknown

late 12th–early 13th century · Ivory, painted; gilded silver mounts with glass, quartz, and turquoise inlays · Islamic Art

The motifs featured on this casket—peacocks, gazelles, lions, small birds with branches in their beaks, and arabesque patterns—occur frequently in a variety of media in the south Mediterranean around this time. However, here the roundels enclosing these motifs are not interlaced as they usually are. Painted ivories such as this one are thought to have been mass-produced rather than made by special commission. The metal mounting with glass, quartz, and turquoise inserts was added at a later period.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 12th–early 13th century

Medium

Ivory, painted; gilded silver mounts with glass, quartz, and turquoise inlays

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Gift of Alastair Bradley Martin, 1973