A LATE TIMURID TINNED COPPER SPOUTED BASIN
Central Asia, late 15th - early 16th century

Of circular shape, resting on a plain gently rounded base, with a tapering body rising to a lightly flaring rim, with an extruded spout to the side, the engraved decoration arranged in two registers of intertwined stylised scrolling split palmette trellis framing a wide band of intricate interlocking knotwork arabesques, the spout engraved with a circular rosette medallion and stylised leaf-pattern on either side, 27cm diam.

Provenance: Christie's South Kensington, 11 April 2014, lot 141.

The knotwork decoration is reminiscent of earlier Veneto-Saracenic and Mamluk vessels, but the cross-hatched ground and angular stylisation of the split palmette sprays tend to be usually attributed to later exemplars produced in the Iranian lands.