Beaker
Created in present-day Syria, during a period of religious conflict known as the Crusades (1097–1291), this beaker reflects the artistic and cultural diversity of the eastern Mediterranean region in its decoration and motifs. The figural and architectural motifs form scenes that represent Christian themes. They include compositions in which figures resembling saints alternate with two-storied, domed structures that may represent monastic communities. A smaller vessel in the Walters collection (Walters 47.18), perhaps made to pair with this beaker, depicts a figure riding a grey donkey—possibly Christ entering Jerusalem. Above these scenes, inscriptions praising an unnamed ruler are written in Arabic, a language familiar to anyone living in this region.
Inscription
[Translation] Glory to our lord the Sultan, the royal, the diligent, the wise, the defender, the protector of frontiers, the fortified by God, the triumphant
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
G. Dattari, Cairo, by 1912. Sale, Hirsch-Sambon, Paris, 1912, lot nos. 608, 609. Dikran Kelekian, Paris and New York, by 1925; purchased by Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1925; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
Exhibitions
2016-2017 | Jerusalem 1000–1400: Every People Under Heaven. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. |
2006-2007 | Venice and The Islamic World, 827-1797 (Venise et l'Orient). Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris Cedex 05; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. |
1998-2001 | Highlights from the Collection. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
1981-1983 | Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington; Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati; The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit; Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento; San Diego Museum Of Art, San Diego; Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix; Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford. |
Conservation
Date | Description | Narrative |
---|---|---|
4/1/1980 | Examination | examined for condition |
Geographies
Syria (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 7 5/16 x Diam: 4 3/4 in. (18.5 x 12.1 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1925
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
47.17