This vessel, known as a bakrak in Arabic, stands as a masterwork of Andalusian and Mamluk metalwork, uniting utility, storytelling, and devotion. Its tall, slender form rises into a domed lid crowned by a finial, balanced gracefully against a long arched spout and a curled sculptural handle. Every surface is inscribed or engraved, ensuring that beauty and meaning flow together as seamlessly as the liquid it once carried.

Calligraphic Inscriptions
Around the shoulder runs a continuous band of Mamluk calligraphy, deeply engraved in elongated script, proclaiming blessings for Sultan Qaytbay:

Arabic:
"العز لمولانا السلطان العالم العادل المؤيد المنصور قايتباي"

Transliteration:
al-ʿizz li-mawlānā al-sulṭān al-ʿālim al-ʿādil al-muʾayyad al-manṣūr Qāytbāy.

Translation:
“Glory to our lord, the Sultan, the learned, the just, the supported, the victorious, Qaytbay.”

The inscriptions weave blessing and legitimacy into the very structure of the vessel.

Artistic Details

• Narrative Belly Scene: The rounded belly features a mounted rider, sword raised in triumph, engraved with fine crosshatching and surrounded by vegetal scrolls and knotwork, framing him like a living tapestry of valor.
• Arabesque Ornament: Flowing arabesques and interlaced vines cover the background, binding narrative and geometry in unbroken rhythm.
• Spout & Handle: The wide, tapering spout is etched with leaf and vine motifs, reinforcing themes of flow and abundance, while the curled handle is sculpted with strength and elegance.
• Lid & Finial: The domed lid carries delicate floral tracery, crowned by a central finial, completing the harmony of form and detail.
• Surface Patina: Centuries of use have enriched the brass with a deep, uneven patina, its worn highlights catching the light and testifying to its life as both ritual and domestic companion.

Interpretation
This bakrak was more than a vessel for pouring; it was a witness to ceremony and gathering, where coffee, ritual, and conversation bound communities together. Its inscriptions exalt Sultan Qaytbay, its imagery recalls courtly valor, and its arabesques proclaim divine order. It is a vessel where form, function, and faith converge, preserving within its engravings not just decoration but the echoes of the culture that produced it.