Harvard Art Museums > 2002.50.120: Openwork Panel with Inscription Plaques Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Openwork Panel with Inscription , 2002.50.120,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Dec 22, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/160457. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 2002.50.120 Title Openwork Panel with Inscription Classification Plaques Work Type plaque Places Creation Place: Middle East, Iran Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/160457 Physical Descriptions Medium Sheet-worked brass, with inlay and overlay in silver and copper Dimensions 11 x 14.5 cm Provenance Recorded Ownership History Stanford and Norma Jean Calderwood, Belmont, MA (by 1978-2002), gift; to Harvard Art Museums, 2002. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Norma Jean Calderwood Collection of Islamic Art Accession Year 2002 Object Number 2002.50.120 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description This curious object has so far defied identification. A small rectangular sheet of brass was pierced to produce an intricate openwork design, and brass rods topped by round finials were soldered to the sides. The front face was then inlaid with silver and copper (both 99 percent pure). Bold strapwork divides the design into three horizontal registers. The upper and largest zone carries a Kufic pseudo-inscription set against a foliate scroll. The letters are animated with two bust-length human figures and a variety of animals and animal heads. In the two lower registers, the strapwork is interlaced in nearly symmetrical fashion, creating geometric interstices that are filled with leaves, rosettes, and round bosses. In accord with traditional metalworking technique, the brass sheet was incised and textured to receive the copper inlay, as can be seen where this inlay is missing. The attachment of the silver, however, is unusual and may reflect modern restoration: it appears to have been positioned in parallel strips (usually three) and hammered to make it adhere to the underlying sheet. Both silver and copper inlays are partly decorated with fine incised lines and punch marks. Published Catalogue Text: In Harmony: The Norma Jean Calderwood Collection of Islamic Art , written 2013144 Openwork panel with inscription Possibly Iran, combining elements from earlier and modern eras Sheet-worked brass, with inlay and overlay in silver and copper 11 × 14.5 cm (4 5/16 × 5 11/16 in.) 2002.50.120 This curious object has so far defied identification. A small rectangular sheet of brass was pierced to produce an intricate openwork design, and brass rods topped by round finials were soldered to the sides. The front face was then inlaid with silver and copper (both 99 percent pure). Bold strapwork divides the design into three horizontal registers. The upper and largest zone carries a Kufic pseudo-inscription set against a foliate scroll. The letters are animated with two bust-length human figures and a variety of animals and animal heads.[1] In the two lower registers, the strapwork is interlaced in nearly symmetrical fashion, creating geometric interstices that are filled with leaves, rosettes, and round bosses. In accord with traditional metalworking technique, the brass sheet was incised and textured to receive the copper inlay, as can be seen where this inlay is missing. The attachment of the silver, however, is unusual and may reflect modern restoration: it appears to have been positioned in parallel strips (usually three) and hammered to make it adhere to the underlying sheet. Both silver and copper inlays are partly decorated with fine incised lines and punch marks. Mary McWilliams [1] Animated inscriptions, in both Kufic and cursive scripts, enjoyed a vogue on inlaid metalwork made in Iran, Syria, and Iraq during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. See, for instance, Baer 1983, 200–207. Publication History Mary McWilliams, ed., In Harmony: The Norma Jean Calderwood Collection of Islamic Art, exh. cat., Harvard Art Museums (Cambridge, MA, 2013), pp. 269-270, cat. 144, ill. Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
