Candlestick

first half 14th century

Not on view

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.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Candlestick
Date: first half 14th century
Geography: Attributed to Egypt or Syria
Medium: Brass; engraved and inlaid with silver
Dimensions: H. 10 3/4 in. (27.3 cm)
W. 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm)
Classification: Metal
Credit Line: Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891
Object Number: 91.1.583a, b
Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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