A rare large Seljuq bronze incense burner in the form of a bird, Northeast Iran, 12th century, the bird stylistically formed with protruding beak and circular eyes, with openwork neck, sides and back consisting of lattice work and scrolling...

A rare large Seljuq bronze incense burner in the form of a bird, Northeast Iran, 12th century, the bird stylistically formed with protruding beak and circular eyes, with openwork neck, sides and back consisting of lattice work and scrolling split-palmettes, the decoration echoed in the engraved bands of scrolling vine to head, neck, and wings, the square tray opening to front of chest with handle fitted with addorsed leaping animals, the rectangular tray visible through the openwork sides, scroll handle fitted to the back of the bird where the neck meets the body, on three prancing feet with accentuated ankle, the neck with old break, the majority of the surface with a rich red patina, good condition, 33.2cm. high x 20.4cm. long Provenance: Bequeathed to the vendor in 2018 and formerly in a private European collection since the early 1970s. This incense burner is related in its form to a smaller one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1972.87). It also fits within the larger lexicon of expressive zoomorphic shapes of medieval Islam most typically used as incense burners. See Christie's 7 April, 2011 for a Khorassan lamp in the form of a rabbit.
Please refer to department for condition report