AN ENGRAVED BRASS CHARGER WITH ANIMAL DECORATION
Possibly Jazira, Iraq or Mamluk Syria, 14th century

Of shallow rounded shape, with short curved cavetto, and everted stepped rim, the interior once inlaid with silver, engraved with a large central roundel in-filled with interlacing knotwork shaped as a flower head, encircled by a band of rectangular cartouches with ducks and droplets repeated around the outer border as well, interspersed amidst rosette roundels, featuring a wider epigraphic band in Arabic bold thuluth script and large medallions repeating the same duck motif, the cavetto with a rubbed inscription in animated Kufic script, figural decoration, and harpies in roundels, the rim with further floral and drop-like patterns, 52cm diam.