A RARE IRAQI SILVER NIELLO MODEL OF THE MOSQUE OF...
A RARE IRAQI SILVER NIELLO MODEL OF THE MOSQUE OF NABI SHIATH
Mosul, Iraq, early 20th century
A large, fine and impressive silver niello and partially gilt model, possibly reproducing the now-lost tomb complex of the Prophet Seth (Mosque of Nabi Shiath), comprising a mosque, a mausoleum and a madrasa (which was unfortunately destroyed in 2014 and has recently been rebuilt by local residents and charitable organisations), this model is therefore an important testimony to a building complex that no longer exists; the front paved in wood and resin and decorated with bone inlays arranged in two symmetrical rectangular panels, each filled with geometric motifs and interlaced palmettes to the centre; the building constructed of silver, hammered into shape, its front featuring a high staircase and a row of windows, all decorated with bone cusped arches and twisted columns, the facade engraved and nielloed with stylised vegetal and foliate motifs, highlighted with overlaid gilt-sheet cartouches and leaf-shaped reserves containing Arabic religious inscriptions; the upper rim of the facade decorated with raised hamsa-shaped bone pinnacles; the two domes and the finial rising from the top of the building, decorated with nielloed latticework and gilded reserves; the top of the cabinet encrusted with crystal (possibly Durr al-Najaf rock crystal, a variety of locally sourced quartz from the Najaf region of Iraq, traditionally prized for its clarity and lustre and associated with Shiʿa devotional culture) and emerald cabochons set within large mounts, with 20th-century intaglios.
Inscriptions include: 'la ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad Rasul Allah, Allah al-Rahman al-Rahim, Allah nur al-samawat wa al-ard, Inna Allah al-Ghafur al-Rahim, nur 'ala nur, Man 'amila mithqala dharratin khayran yarahu - there is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth, indeed, Allah is the most forgiving, the most merciful, light upon light, whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it (the latter from Qur’an 99:7).'
43.4cm x 42.5cm x 33cm; overall weight 5.4kg.
Iraqi silver of the first half of the twentieth century can generally be divided into two principal strands: engraved silver associated primarily with Jewish silversmiths based in Baghdad, and work produced by Muslim and Christian artisans in Basra, Amarah, Nasiriyah, Karbala, Baghdad, Diyala, Kirkuk, Mosul and Kurdistan, including Aqra, Dahouk and Qusinjaq.
Whereas silver made by Baghdad’s Jewish community is relatively uncommon, niello wares enjoyed much broader circulation, having been widely purchased by tourists, members of the British military and British expatriates. Consequently, Iraqi niello silver is commonly found in relatively small-scale objects, typically cigarette cases, napkin rings, dressing-table boxes, posy vases, cruets, and tea and coffee services. Their decorative vocabulary frequently incorporates locally distinctive imagery, including recognisable Iraqi monuments and riverine landscapes.
Architectural models of religious buildings, particularly on this scale, are therefore extremely rare and may be considered within the broader Ottoman-period Levantine tradition of inlaid architectural models, which developed in connection with pilgrimage, devotional memory and the international souvenir trade. This tradition is documented in Jerusalem and Bethlehem from the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, within the context of Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Inlaid architectural models of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Church of the Nativity were produced as portable devotional souvenirs, allowing pilgrims to retain a tangible representation of the sacred sites after their return home.
Literature:
Al-Baghdadi, M., History of Iraqi Silver: Its Major Craftsmen and Their Work, Nanda Printing, 2018.
Estimate
Time, Location
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A RARE IRAQI SILVER NIELLO MODEL OF THE MOSQUE OF NABI SHIATH
Mosul, Iraq, early 20th century
A large, fine and impressive silver niello and partially gilt model, possibly reproducing the now-lost tomb complex of the Prophet Seth (Mosque of Nabi Shiath), comprising a mosque, a mausoleum and a madrasa (which was unfortunately destroyed in 2014 and has recently been rebuilt by local residents and charitable organisations), this model is therefore an important testimony to a building complex that no longer exists; the front paved in wood and resin and decorated with bone inlays arranged in two symmetrical rectangular panels, each filled with geometric motifs and interlaced palmettes to the centre; the building constructed of silver, hammered into shape, its front featuring a high staircase and a row of windows, all decorated with bone cusped arches and twisted columns, the facade engraved and nielloed with stylised vegetal and foliate motifs, highlighted with overlaid gilt-sheet cartouches and leaf-shaped reserves containing Arabic religious inscriptions; the upper rim of the facade decorated with raised hamsa-shaped bone pinnacles; the two domes and the finial rising from the top of the building, decorated with nielloed latticework and gilded reserves; the top of the cabinet encrusted with crystal (possibly Durr al-Najaf rock crystal, a variety of locally sourced quartz from the Najaf region of Iraq, traditionally prized for its clarity and lustre and associated with Shiʿa devotional culture) and emerald cabochons set within large mounts, with 20th-century intaglios.
Inscriptions include: 'la ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad Rasul Allah, Allah al-Rahman al-Rahim, Allah nur al-samawat wa al-ard, Inna Allah al-Ghafur al-Rahim, nur 'ala nur, Man 'amila mithqala dharratin khayran yarahu - there is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth, indeed, Allah is the most forgiving, the most merciful, light upon light, whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it (the latter from Qur’an 99:7).'
43.4cm x 42.5cm x 33cm; overall weight 5.4kg.
Iraqi silver of the first half of the twentieth century can generally be divided into two principal strands: engraved silver associated primarily with Jewish silversmiths based in Baghdad, and work produced by Muslim and Christian artisans in Basra, Amarah, Nasiriyah, Karbala, Baghdad, Diyala, Kirkuk, Mosul and Kurdistan, including Aqra, Dahouk and Qusinjaq.
Whereas silver made by Baghdad’s Jewish community is relatively uncommon, niello wares enjoyed much broader circulation, having been widely purchased by tourists, members of the British military and British expatriates. Consequently, Iraqi niello silver is commonly found in relatively small-scale objects, typically cigarette cases, napkin rings, dressing-table boxes, posy vases, cruets, and tea and coffee services. Their decorative vocabulary frequently incorporates locally distinctive imagery, including recognisable Iraqi monuments and riverine landscapes.
Architectural models of religious buildings, particularly on this scale, are therefore extremely rare and may be considered within the broader Ottoman-period Levantine tradition of inlaid architectural models, which developed in connection with pilgrimage, devotional memory and the international souvenir trade. This tradition is documented in Jerusalem and Bethlehem from the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, within the context of Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Inlaid architectural models of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Church of the Nativity were produced as portable devotional souvenirs, allowing pilgrims to retain a tangible representation of the sacred sites after their return home.
Literature:
Al-Baghdadi, M., History of Iraqi Silver: Its Major Craftsmen and Their Work, Nanda Printing, 2018.
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
