Basin

With only four other Mamluk enameled glass basins are known to exist, this example is a true rarity. While some debate originally surrounded the dating of the basin, its technical and stylistic treatment confidently attribute it to glass of 7th century AH/14th century CE, Syria. Furthermore, comparative examples of Mamluk metalwork help to date the basin to this period. It was most probably used as a finger-bowl to rinse one’s hands before and after meals, as suggested by the inscription around the middle: “انا احتوي الماء (I contain water)”. The thick, red enamel ground - made using the impasto technique – clearly demonstrates the enameller’s great skill and is subsequently only found on a small number of Mamluk glass objects. Moreover, the basin’s monumental calligraphy, knotwork, palmette friezes, scrolls, lions in roundels and gold animals outlined in red are patterns analogous with Mamluk motifs, and are found on other media.