A Closer Look
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PILGRIM-FLASK, MOULD BLOWN AND CUT GREEN GLASS
Syria, Umayyad period, 7th
– 8th 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.
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BOTTLE, MOULD-BLOWN BROWN GLASS
Iraq, probably Baghdad, 9th
or 10th 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.
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QUADRUPED
FREE BLOWN AND MANIPULATED GREEN GLASS
Syria or Iraq, early Abbasid period,
9th – 10th 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 10th or 11th century.
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MULE,
CARRYING TWO JARS, FREE BLOWN AND MANIPULATED GREENISH-YELLOW
GLASS
Syria, early Abbasid period, 9th
– 10th 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 7th or 8th century. Carboni –
Whitehouse, 2001, “cage animal flasks”, nos.29-32, pp.112-113,
attributed to Syria and dated to the 7th or 8th
century.
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BEAKER, FREE
BLOWN AND WHEEL-CUT YELLOWISH-WHITE GLASS
Iran, Samanid period, 9th
– 10th 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 9th – 10th century.
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JUG, FREE
BLOWN AND MANIPULATED YELLOW GLASS
Iraq, probably Baghdad, early Abbasid
period, 10th – 11th 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 9th
or 10th century. |

Small jug or pitcher
Iran, 11th – 12th
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 9th century.
Carboni, 2001, no.3.43b, p.252.
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BOTTLE, MOULD
BLOWN WITH GREEN APPLIQUĖ DECORATION
Iran, 11th – 12th
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 11th
or 12th century.
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FLASK, FREE BLOWN
YELLOWISH-GREEN GLASS WITH APPLIQUĖ DECORATION
Iran, 6th – 8th
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
Shinji Fukai, Persian Glass, New York, Tokyo,
Kyoto, 1977, plates 12 – 13, dated to the 6th century |

LARGE BEAKER, MOULD
BLOWN COLOURLESS GLASS WITH WHEEL-CUT DECORATION
Egypt or Syria, 9th – 10th
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 8th – 9th
century; Fukai, op.cit., plate 60; attributed to Iran and dated to
the 9th century;
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EWER, MOULD-BLOWN
WHITE GLAS
Iraq, probably Baghdad, 10th – 11th
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 18th 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.
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