White Bronze
Simin Lakpour
"Sefid Ruy" Book


Metal Works in Iran Bastan Museum
Large tray, hammered, flat bottom, convex body, broad in-turned rim

Khorasan
12th-13th century AD
Height: 4.8 cm (1.92 in)
Diameter: 41.4 cm (16.56 in)

Decoration:
Incised and carved. A braided pair of ribbons on the edge. From the rim inward, the ground patterns of the tray include:

First row: A succession of elongated hexagons
Second row: On the background of scrolls made up of dotted circles and composed with vine leaves, an inscription imitating foliate Kufic script is interrupted in regular intervals by 8 circles adorned with 4 leaves

Third row: A band of undulating vine scrolls composed with vine leaves
Fourth row: Repetition of 2nd row
Sixth row: Repetition of 4th row, save for leaves ornamenting the circles, which are here replaced with six-petalled flowers
Fifth & seventh row: Repetition of 3rd row

Within the circles in the middle of the inner bottom surface, on background of vine scrolls, one central small circle, bearinf four-petalled flower motif, is surrounded by 7 similar ones. Below the outer rim, Kufic letter is repeated alternately with scrolls. These patterns are interrupted in regular intervals by scrolls made up of dotted circles. Ornamentation of the tray is incised and engraved.

Patina:
The tray is quiet intact; patina appearing only as very fine wart-like dark brown corrosion on inside and similar red and green corrosion on the outside. In some places, glossy black patches are also visible.