A real museum object OPEN COLLECTION

Collection record · Objects & craft

Salver

The collection record classifies this work as metalwork. It is dated 1100s. Recorded culture or place: Afghanistan, Ghaznavid Period, 12th Century.

Explore the object record

OBJECT RECORD

A closer look at the details.

Museum title
Salver
Date
1100s
Culture / origin
Afghanistan, Ghaznavid Period, 12th Century
Materials and technique
brass
Dimensions
Diameter: 58 cm (22 13/16 in.)
Artist / maker
Not specified by the museum
Museum
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Accession number
1980.179

FROM THE MUSEUM

In the museum’s words

The following description is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s original English record.

The central subject is an enthroned ruler surrounded by couriers and musicians. The wide border is filled with an elaborately animated Kufic inscription in which the shafts of the letters terminate in human busts, representing musicians and warriors; various animals; and human hands, holding a variety of symbolic objects. This complex inscription has not yet been deciphered; it appears to be in Persian and to contain only benedictory phrases.

Around the outside of the rim, an Arabic inscription, in nashki letters, reads: "You elevated one [of God's] creature[s] and he has ruled with good fortune and blessing and happiness and security and felicity and victory."

That the scene does not refer to a specific royal personage but is rather only a representation of the abstract concept of the "Heavenly Banquet" as a symbol of apotheosis indicated by the banner held over the head of the enthroned figure, which actually proclaims this vessel to be "the work of Ibrahim the Decorator [or the Engraver]."

FOLLOW THE SOURCE

Text and image sources

The Cleveland Museum of Art · John L. Severance Fund · CC0

The summary is based on public collection data. Refer to the museum’s latest record for the title, date and attribution.

Open the complete museum record View the open-access policy

THE VISITOR BOOK

What caught your eye?

About anonymous participation

How surprising is this object?

Loading ratings…
Your surprise rating

No sign-in needed. An anonymous session can update its rating without adding another vote. Ratings do not represent verified individual people.

Leave a note in the visitor book

Comments are reviewed before publication. Please leave out contact details and other personal information.

0 / 500

Around this cabinet

Opening the visitor book…

Pass on your curiosity

Copy this link and invite a friend to guess.