Carved Rock Crystal Flask

This flask, decorated with carved circular motifs, is characteristic of the large production of vessels and containers carved in rock crystal in Fatimid Egypt in the 3rd-4th century AH / 9th -10th century CE. Egypt enjoyed a period of vast wealth at this period, with Cairo becoming a large commercial city at the crossroads between the Mediterranean and the Eastern Islamic lands. With the numerous commissions held in the treasuries of the Fatimid court, Cairo was the centre of many workshop productions thriving by their quality: metalwork, glass, ceramics, ivory, wood carving, textiles and rock-crystal. Large quantities of rock-crystal were imported from the East African coast to Fatimid Egypt, where it was believed to carry curative properties. Flasks such as these were also largely traded, as witnessed by their use as reliquaries in European churches.