Tareq Rajab Museum

Kuwait           

A Closer Look

Back to Glass

   PILGRIM-FLASK, MOULD BLOWN AND CUT GREEN GLASS   

         Syria, Umayyad period, 7^th – 8^th century

         Ht. 13.5cm; Top diam. 3.5cm.

         GLS-0016-TSR 

         Made-up of two identical halves. It has a round and convez body, funnel-shaped neck to which two small blue glass handles are attached. Rests on a   low lobed foot-ring. The decoration is identical on both sides: in the centre is a rosette, surrounded by two registers. The inner one has a zigzag line with dots; the outer one displays chevron patterns, diagonals and dots. Pearly motifs decorate one side around the edges.  

         Comparative Material

         This vessel is most likely related to the pottery pilgrim-flasks, one of which was excavated at Tarsus and the other two are in the Tareq Rajab Museum’s collections, inv.nos. CER-9-TSR and CER-10-TSR.

    BOTTLE, MOULD-BLOWN BROWN GLASS

         Iraq, probably Baghdad, 9^th or 10^th century

         Ht. 17cm; Top diam. 3cm

         GLS-0702-TSR 

         Spherical body with tall and tapering neck, floral decoration on the body  and an

         Epigraphic band, written in Kufic style on the shoulder. The inscription is not clear as the glass is somewhat worn.

  QUADRUPED FREE BLOWN AND MANIPULATED GREEN GLASS

         Syria or Iraq, early Abbasid period, 9^th – 10^th century

         Length 5.6cm; Ht. 6.9 cm.

         GLS-0250-TSR

         It has a loop handle on its back and on top of it there is a stylised animal, probably a lion, attacking the head of the unidentified quadruped.

         Comparative Material

        They are attributed to the Iranian region and dated to the 10^th or 11^th century.  

    MULE, CARRYING TWO JARS, FREE BLOWN AND MANIPULATED GREENISH-YELLOW GLASS      

         Syria, early Abbasid period, 9^th – 10^th century

         Length 7.5cm; Ht. 10cm.

         GLS-0005-TSR

         It represents a somewhat naively made small mule carrying two large cylindrical jars on its back both of which have trailed decoration.

         Comparative Material:

         Carboni, op.cit., 2001, cat.nos.4/a and 4/b, inv.nos.LNS126G and LNS377G, pp.24-25. Attributed to Syria and dated to the 7^th or 8^th century. Carboni – Whitehouse, 2001, “cage animal flasks”, nos.29-32, pp.112-113, attributed to Syria and dated to the 7^th or 8^th century.    

   BEAKER, FREE BLOWN AND WHEEL-CUT YELLOWISH-WHITE GLASS

         Iran, Samanid period, 9^th – 10^th century

         Ht. 8.8cm; Top diam. 9.8cm.

         GLS-0006-TSR

         Almost bell-shaped form with a raised circular base and ground-off pontil-mark, decorated with a series of double outlined lozenges, alternating with and connected by curved lines to clusters of dots, a trade-mark of Khurasan. It is iridescent, was broken into several large fragments, then restored.

         Comparative Material

         Carl Johan Lamm, Glass from Iran in the National Museum, Stockholm, Stockholm, 1935, plate 32/d; Kröger, op.cit., 1995, no.190, pp.137-38, the fragment of a beaker, excavated at Tepe Madrasah, dated to the 9^th – 10^th century.

    JUG, FREE BLOWN AND MANIPULATED YELLOW GLASS      

         Iraq, probably Baghdad, early Abbasid period, 10^th – 11^th c.

         Ht. 16cm; Top diam. 6.5cm.

         GLS-0023-TSR 

         Globular body, tall and wide cylindrical neck, with a handle attatched to the upper part of the body and top of the neck which has a small tumb-piece on         top.  

         Comparative Material

         Carboni, op.cit., 2001, cat.no.36/a, inv.no.LNS338G, p.148, attributed to Iran and dated to the 9^th or 10^th century.

              Small jug or pitcher

                   Iran, 11^th – 12^th century

                        Ht. 11cm; Top diam. 5cm

GLS-52-TSR 

Small brown vessel with mould-blown surface decoration. Globular body resting on a raised and deeply indented base, with a tall and opening neck to which an elegant handle is attached. The body is decorated with an undulating floral scroll in relief, while the lower part of the vessel has series of vertical strokes. The handle on top has a small thumb-piece, while in the middle there is a small bulge, recalling the bosses that decorate the handles of some contemporary bronze jugs and ewers. 

Comparative material

Shinji Fukai, Persian Glass, Tokyo, 1977, no.70. A small pitcher, made of yellow and blue glass, attributed to Gurgan and dated to the 9^th century. Carboni, 2001, no.3.43b, p.252.        

       BOTTLE, MOULD BLOWN WITH GREEN APPLIQUĖ DECORATION  

         Iran, 11^th – 12^th century

         Ht. 25.5cm; Top diam. 1.6cm.

         GLS-0079-TSR        

         Squat bulbous body with a deeply indented base which has a small pontil mark, tall cylindrical neck. The body is decorated with three large oval cartouches, each with a series of pearls motifs between undulating bands. There are four undulating trails on the lower part of the neck. 

         Comparative Material

         Carboni, op.cit., 2001, cat.nos.3.26/d – f, inv.nos.LNS393G, LNS394G and LNS41KG, p.191, illustrated on pp.192-93,          attributed to Syria or Iran and dated to the 11^th or 12^th century.  

FLASK, FREE BLOWN YELLOWISH-GREEN GLASS WITH APPLIQUĖ DECORATION

         Iran, 6^th – 8^th century

         Ht. 10.5cm; Top diam.4.2cm.

       GLS-454-TSR 

         Almost spherical in shape, resting on a raised and slightly recessed base, short and opening wide neck with rolled rim. The body is decorated with a number of oval facets in relief arranged in three rows. The ovals in the central row are considerably larger. 

         Comparative Material

LARGE BEAKER, MOULD BLOWN COLOURLESS GLASS WITH WHEEL-CUT DECORATION

         Egypt or Syria, 9^th – 10^th century

         Ht. 10cm; Top diam. 13.1cm.

         GLS-0211-TSR        

         Cylindrical flaring body which on its lower part is decorated with four birds, placed within two concentric bands. It rests on a flat base. It was broken into several parts, but was restored.

         Comparative Material

         The Arts of Islam, Hayward Gallery, London, 1976, nos.120 and 121, p.137, attributed to Syria or Iran and dated to the 8^th – 9^th century; Fukai, op.cit., plate 60; attributed to Iran and dated to the 9^th century;  

EWER, MOULD-BLOWN WHITE GLAS

       Iraq, probably Baghdad, 10^th – 11^th century             

         Ht. 12cm; Top diam. 4cm

         GLS-0710-TSR 

         Ewer with a globular body, tall opening neck, with an elegant handle attached to the shoulder and to the rim of the vessel which is painted brownish lustre. There is an inscription running around on the shoulder written in Kufic style. Although the inscription is not clearly visible and is difficult to decipher it, yet one word is readable, saying ‘amala, “the work”, or “made”. An intertwined scroll runs around the base of the neck, below the inscription.

SQUARE BOTTLE, MOULD BLOWN GREYISH-  YELLOW GLASS WITH POLYCHROME PAINTED DECORATION

         India, Mughal period, Gujarat, second quarter of the 18^th century

         Ht. 13cm; top diam. 3cm; base diam. 6.5x6cm

         GLS-0711-TSR 

         On two opposite sides there are blossoming blue flowers rising from a bush, while on the other two sides there are figural representations. On one side there is a standing young couple, holding hands against gold floral background. Above there is a lobed arch which is supported by columns painted on the corners of the bottle. On the opposite side there is a young lady sitting on a high-backed chair scenting a flower. 

INDIAN ROCK-CRYSTAL CHESS SET

India, early 19th century

Largest Piece : 5.3cm High

Smallest Piece : 2cm High

GLS-0688-TSR

Carved in squat and tapering cylindrical forms with domed tops, painted in gilt with flowersprigs enclosed by borders of interlacing flowers, the undersides painted green and red. One part is painted red, the other green.