This tall, elegant ewer, crafted in copper alloy, is a vessel where utility meets ceremony, its form and surface transformed into a proclamation of refinement and power. The body swells in rounded fullness before tapering into a slender neck, crowned with a hinged lid that speaks of ritual function. Every surface is inscribed with detail, making the piece not only a jug for pouring but a manuscript in metal.
Calligraphic Inscriptions
Panels of bold script frame the vessel’s body, each line invoking blessings and power:
Arabic:
"العز لمولانا السلطان الملك الناصر العالم العادل القائد الولي المولى المجاهد المحارب"
Transliteration:
al-ʿizz li-mawlānā al-sulṭān al-malik al-nāṣir al-ʿālim al-ʿādil al-qāʾid al-walī al-mawlā al-mujāhid al-muḥārib.
Translation:
“Glory to our lord, the Sultan al-Malik al-Nāṣir, the learned, the just, the commander, the guardian, the master, the struggler in faith, the warrior.”
The inscriptions alternate with ornamental cartouches, balancing word and pattern across the vessel’s swelling surface.
Artistic Details
- Cartouches & Ornament: Teardrop-shaped cartouches filled with interlacing vines and arabesques alternate with script bands, creating rhythmic movement across the form.
- Handle: The curving handle, like a living branch, is engraved with its own tracery of vegetal motifs, binding structure with ornament.
- Spout: Elongated and finely tapered, the spout projects outward with quiet authority, suggesting both elegance and command.
- Foot: The flaring base is encircled by zigzag geometric bands, symbols of continuity, protection, and boundary.
- Surface & Patina: Darkened patina reveals its age, while patches of polished copper glimmer through, offering a dialogue of endurance and radiance.
Interpretation
This ewer is more than a functional vessel; it is a statement of prestige and devotion. The inscriptions proclaim the Sultan’s virtues, while the ornament transforms utility into art. Its engraved body unites calligraphy, geometry, and foliage into a rhythmic harmony, making the vessel itself a bearer of blessing, power, and refinement.
