A CAST BRONZE FIVE-SPOUTED LAMP IN THE SHAPE OF A HARE Possibly Khorasan, Eastern Iran, 12th - 13th century

A CAST BRONZE FIVE-SPOUTED LAMP IN THE SHAPE OF A HARE Possibly Khorasan, Eastern Iran, 12th - 13th century Cast in a zoomorphic hare-like shape, standing on all fours in a slightly crouched posture, with rounded paws reminiscent of horse hooves, the body presenting engravings on the hare's back and thighs with intricate vegetal trellis and rosette medallions, the head with pointy ears crenelated on the edges, the almond-shaped eyes carved out and possibly once hollow, four narrow oil lamp spouts protruding from the chest and a curved spout with an oval-shaped rim replacing the hare's tail at the back, 13.7cm x 17.8cm. Provenance: Bonhams London, 2 May 2001, lot 377. Iranian artworks produced in the Seljuq period stand out for their unmistakable style, recurrent forms, and most importantly, their decorative liveliness, showcasing a clear predilection for figural and animal motifs. This is especially the case with metalware: from small cups to large basins and ewers, from incense burners to lampstands and candlesticks, from rings and portable spoons to trays, all these creations were often enhanced with figures hunting, riding, banqueting, giving or having audiences, illustrating the canon of Persian bazm o razm (feast and fight) at its best. Sharing the spotlight side by side with human characters, animal counterparts would often take the most extravagant forms, especially as felines, birds, and horses. In the outstanding variety of Seljuq bronze vessels, zoomorphic incense burners and lamps are perhaps the most iconic. This lot, cast in the form of a hare, showcases an unusual combination of zoomorphic shape and practical use as a multi-spouted bronze lamp. Unlike lions and birds, hares and rabbits rarely appeared in the decorative and stylistic vocabulary of Medieval Eastern Iranian bronzes (Court and Cosmos: The Great Age of the Seljuqs, 2016, p. 105, cat. 34). On the contrary, several bronze lion-shaped burners can be accounted in major international museums like the Cleveland Museum of Art (no. 1948.308.a), the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg (no. IR-1565), the David Collection in Copenhagen (no. 48/1981), the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (no. 1951.51.56), and the Louvre Museum in Paris (no. 1933, AA.19). In London, the Khalili Collection of Islamic Art holds several 12th and 13th-century zoomorphic burners, mostly attributed to Iran. The oddest in the group is possibly the elephant, attributed to Northern India or Iran (The Arts of Islam: Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection, 2010, p. 95, cat. 99, MTW1041). The Louvre Museum offers a significant group of 12th-century spouted bronze lamps, united by a similar design to our lot and the presence of additional zoomorphic elements (A. Collinet, Précieuses Matières: Les Arts du Métal dans le Monde Iranien Médiéval, 2021, pp. 218 - 222, cats. 41 - 43 and p. 235, cat. 48). In her recent publication, Collinet provides an encompassing list of all the animals encountered in Eastern Iranian metal creations, including lions, bulls, camels, elephants, sheep, a monkey, a goat, and several birds like partridges, peacocks, cockerels, doves, and birds of prey like falcons (ibidem, pp. 233 - 234). However, neither Collinet's list nor any of the Louvre vessels account for hares or rabbits. Instead, these animals were prominent subjects in the Western regions of the Medieval Islamic world, especially in Umayyad Spain and Fatimid Egypt, as noticeable in their ceramic and textile productions. Although Medieval Iranian blacksmiths were overall very fond of zoomorphic designs, the above discussion proves that their preference for feline and aviary subjects is undeniable. One could wonder if 'odd' animals, like the Khalili elephant and our hare, were the creations of smaller provincial centres or perhaps special private commissions designed as either one-offs or yadgar (keepsakes) for foreign travellers. The only other known comparable example of a Khorasani bronze spouted lamp in the form of a rabbit was sold at Christie's London, 7 April 2011, lot 57 for over £300,000 GBP (incl. BP).Click here to share: