What is this?
By Gracyn Benck '23
This is a metal Egyptian bowl. It was made in the eleventh century as a part of a wide network of metalworking. It is around fifteen centimeters in size (Hatvard Art Museum). It is deocrated with various cultural themes including vine scroll, pseudo-Kufic, and Greek crosses. The top level of ornament is vine scroll. Vine scroll is commonly made of plant motifs. This decorates the top of the bowl around the circumference. Vine scroll is commonly associated with Islamic culture and seen in many Islamic works. Underneath the vine scroll is pseudo-Kufic. This is a fake form of Arabic that does not have any actual meaning (Bilotto, 2012). Rather than using actual Arabic with a literal meaning this type of ornament was more was meant to evoke legible Arabic as an homage to the local culture of Islamic calligraphy. The pseudo-Kufic script seen on this bowl shows the cross-cultural interactions that occurred in the Islamic crusaded cities and shows the Christian patronage that sought a connection to the local culture they experienced during the Crusades (Bilotto, 2012). Below the pseudo-Kufic script are Greek crosses. When a cross has four limbs of equal length, it is called a Greek cross or "crux quadrata". These crosses were widely used and would have been understood to be a Christian religious symbol. This bottom ornament of the bowl provides the greatest Christian connection to the object. This bowl stood as the last physical reminder of their mission as crusaders.
The tradition of metalwork in Islam reflects the patronage and desires of diverse social and economic classes. These metal objects were sometimes simple and other times quite ornate. These objects’ decoration employs various common themes as well as unique compositions. Various techniques were utilized to make and decorate these objects. While little is known about the places in which these metal objects were made, the most valuable information comes from the object itself. Despite many being dated or signed, physical analysis of the object allows scholars to identify common themes among various objects and identify the likely place of origin.