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Lot Essay
The outline of this piece is reminiscent of some of the suite of Golden Horde jewellery sold in these Rooms 17 October 1995, lot 296. The technique of manufacture is however completely different, this being cast and therefore considerably heavier. The decoration here is also engraved rather than in filigree with granulation as seen in the previous lot.
The decorative repertoire shown here relates closely to that of a group of rings with serpent-headed shanks. Both share the combination of tight scrolling arabesques within shaped panels and the filler of minute cruciform motifs left proud on the surface against a deeply cut-away ground. An example which has all these attributes is in the Zucker Collection (Content, Derek: Islamic Rings and Gems, the Zucker Collection, London, 1987, no.70, p.122, and pl.p.208). A very similar piece is in the Khalili Collection, the caption to which suggests that some questions have been raised about the authenticity of the rings (Wenzel, M.: Ornament and Amulet, Rings of the Islamic Lands, the Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, London, 1993, no.618, p.119). It is however confidently attributed to 'Anatolia or Iran, 14th or 15th century".
The decorative repertoire shown here relates closely to that of a group of rings with serpent-headed shanks. Both share the combination of tight scrolling arabesques within shaped panels and the filler of minute cruciform motifs left proud on the surface against a deeply cut-away ground. An example which has all these attributes is in the Zucker Collection (Content, Derek: Islamic Rings and Gems, the Zucker Collection, London, 1987, no.70, p.122, and pl.p.208). A very similar piece is in the Khalili Collection, the caption to which suggests that some questions have been raised about the authenticity of the rings (Wenzel, M.: Ornament and Amulet, Rings of the Islamic Lands, the Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, London, 1993, no.618, p.119). It is however confidently attributed to 'Anatolia or Iran, 14th or 15th century".