Lot 14 A SASANIAN SILVER BOWL WITH ISLAMIC INSCRIPTION, CIRCA 5TH–7TH CENTURY AD
A finely wrought Sasanian silver bowl, broad and softly oval in profile, its subtly hammered surface catching the light with a quiet, silvery sheen. The rim is encircled by a delicate gilded interlace, lending restrained ornament to an otherwise austere form. Within, a later Kufic inscription of the Basmala, rendered in luminous gold, unfolds across the interior—its measured, angular script providing a striking contrast to the vessel’s smooth curvature.
Length: 22 cm.
Height: 5.5 cm.
Inscription:
Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim/ “In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.”
The gilded Kufic script within the bowl reflects the characteristic elongated, angular style of early Islamic calligraphy. The inscription is horizontally extended—typical of decorative Kufic adapted to circular or oval surfaces—and was inlaid at a later date onto the original Sasanian vessel.
Catalogue note:
Following the fall of the Sasanian Empire, many luxury objects were preserved and recontextualized within Islamic societies. Rather than being discarded, valuable silverware was often enhanced with Islamic inscriptions or ornament. This bowl exemplifies a refined synthesis of pre-Islamic Persian craftsmanship and early Islamic artistic identity, embodying both continuity and transformation.