A Critical Study of Attribution of Three Metalwares from Western Iran to Mosul School in the First Half of the Seventh Century Hijri; Incense Burner of Abu Bakr Sinni Razi, the Ewer and the Candlestick of Victoria and Albert Museum

Taherzadeh, Reza; Ayatollahi, Habibollah; Marasy, Mohsen

A Critical Study of Attribution of Three Metalwares from Western Iran to Mosul School in the First Half of the Seventh Century Hijri; Incense Burner of Abu Bakr Sinni Razi, the Ewer and the Candlestick of Victoria and Albert Museum

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Reza Taherzadeh ¹

Habibollah Ayatollahi ²

Mohsen Marasy ³

¹ PH.D,Student of Research Art, Shahed University,

² PH.D, Associate Professor, Shahed University,

³ Associate Professor, Shahed University,

Abstract

In the first half of the seventh century hijri (thirteenth century A.D.), during last decades of Atbeks’ reign in northern Iraq, Mosul school achieved a high position in Islamic metalwork. The reputation of its products, therefore, has so far questioned the originality of works, most probably, from other centers. Several significant pieces from the period in question have survived which scholars, based on stylistic characteristics, attribute to Mosul metalwork, yet these works obviously differ in form and ornamentations from the ones made in Mosul. Here in this essay we selected and studied three instances of these works thoroughly to determine their actual origin. The result of this research indicates that in spite of resemblance of some decorative elements in these inlaid brasses to Mosul metalwork and based on the extant evidences their attribution to this significant school of 13^th century A.D. is not justified. We believe, on the contrary, they must have been produced somewhere in the western part of present Iran.

Keywords

Mosul Metalwork

Western Iranian Metalwork

Incense Burner of Abu Bakr Sinni Razi

Ewer of Victoria and Albert Museum

Candlestick of Victoria and Albert Museum