AN AYYUBID ENGRAVED COPPER 'MAGIC' BOWL
Possibly Egypt or Syria, 13th - 14th century

Of hemispherical shape, with a convex profile, rising to a circular rim, the interior engraved with a central floral medallion with ten cusped petals, each one filled with several overlapping lines of pseudo-Syriac inscriptions, five petals featuring also figural decorations like two cross-legged seated men, a snake, an emaciated dog, and a scorpion, further concentric calligraphic bands with geomantic and auspicious inscriptions in Arabic and pseudo-Syriac scripts starting from the rim and running to the centre of the bowl, the exterior with more inscriptions arranged in roundels, triangles, and a horizontal band, 13.8cm diam.