When was this made?
By Gracyn Benck '23
The So-Called Crusader Bowl was made during the eleventh century. Fatimid rule was at its peak in Egypt but would later be replaced by the Ayyubids, who would then control Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and Yemen. In the Islamic world, several other dynasties were ruling in Spain, North Africa, Iran, Afghanistan, and Muslim regions of central Asia and India. The Crusades only complicated this already complex political history. Seven crusades arrived in Islamic lands between 1096 and 1270. Art flourished in these lands despite political unrest resulting from the rise and fall of dynasties. The competition for power also caused an equally high demand for pricey objects to display rulers' power and wealth.
The artists of the eleventh century therefore created refined objects for their demanding patrons. Metalwork reached the epitome of its technical perfection. Many works were decorated with inscriptions or ornaments, which then became one of the most prominent characteristics of Islamic metalwork. Often inscriptions simply have repeated well wishes, but some inscriptions provide important information as to where an object was made and why.