Although flat dishes with raised curved rims, such as this example, were uncommon in Mamluk enameled glass, the dense decoration on this plate is typical of the style of enameled glass of fourteenth century Egypt. A geometric grid created through five tangential circles, drawn in a continuous looping line, dominates the composition. Four of the circles include a complex interlacing star-like pattern, and alternate with stylized arabesque-type vegetal patterns. The colorful chromatic contrast of blue, white, and red enamels, as well as gilding emphasizes the graphic quality of this complex design. Such luxurious dishes belonged to the luxurious tableware used by the ruling elite in regions between Egypt and Anatolia.
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Artwork Details
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Title:Plate
Date:ca. 1350–1357
Geography:Attributed to Syria or Egypt
Medium:Glass; free blown, enameled and gilded; tooled on the pontil
Dimensions:H. 7/8 in. (2.2 cm) Diam. 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm)
Classification:Glass
Credit Line:Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891
Object Number:91.1.1533
Edward C. Moore (American), New York (until d. 1891; bequeathed to MMA)
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks," November 21, 1981–January 10, 1982, suppl. #27.
New York. The Hagop Kevorkian Special Exhibitions Gallery, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Nature of Islamic Ornament Part III: Geometric Patterns," March 17–July 18, 1999, no catalogue.
Corning, NY. Corning Museum of Glass. "Glass of the Sultans," May 24–September 3, 2001, fig. 105.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Glass of the Sultans," October 2, 2001–January 13, 2002, fig. 105.
Athens, Greece. Benaki Museum. "Glass of the Sultans," February 20–May 15, 2002, fig. 105.
Seville. Fundación Fondo de Cultura de Sevilla. "Nur," October 26, 2013–February 9, 2014, not in catalogue.
Dallas. Dallas Museum of Art. "Nur," March 30, 2014–June 29, 2014, not in catalogue.
Lamm, Carl Johan. Mittelalterliche Gläser und Steinschnittarbeiten aus dem Nahen Osten. Forschungen zur Islamischen Kunst 5, vol. I, II. Berlin, Germany: D. Reimer, 1929–1930. Vol. I, p. 345, vol. II, pl. 139, nr. 1.
Dimand, Maurice S. A Handbook of Muhammedan Decorative Arts. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1930. p. 198.
Dimand, Maurice S. A Handbook of Muhammadan Art. 2nd rev. and enl. ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1944. p. 238.
Aanavi, Don. "Western Islamic Art." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin vol. 27, no. 3 (November 1968). pp. 200–1, ill. p. 201 (b/w).
Carboni, Stefano, David Whitehouse, Robert H. Brill, and William Gudenrath. Glass of the Sultans. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001. p. 273, ill. fig. 105 (b/w).
Wypyski, Mark. Metropolitan Museum Studies in Art, Science, and Technology. vol. 1. New York, 2010. pp. 112, 120–21.
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