Weiner Mihályné szerk.: Az Iparművészeti Múzeum Évkönyvei 8. (Budapest, 1965)

HOPP FERENC MÚZEUM — MUSÉE FERENC HOPP - Ferenczy, László: A Saljuk bronze from Iran. A present from Sir Aurel Stein

the 12th century, and bears the sign of a well-known Sawa master. Its ornamentation, entirely different from ours, represents a banquet scene.

27 Two more analogies should be mentioned to the middle part of the Stein bronze. One was found in the course of Stein's East-Iranian, Khurasanian expedition at Mujnabad, near Meshed on the Meshed-Herat road. The next place, Bamrud, is close to the Afghan border. The ruins of a medieval city yielded here, besides ceramics and other objects, a bronze piece similar in shape, technique and ornamentation to the middle part of our bronze. Stein described it as some kind of vase. The Kufic inscriptions, set against a floral ornamentation, are separated by four medallions encircled with double lines. Around the base is a plaited ribbon ornament, like on our piece. The base itself is not clear in the publication but the top is covered by a flat plate with a longish opening on it.

28 We may be sure that this object was destined for the same use as the middle part of our bronze, that is, it was a joining piece for a larger object. Another similar object, at the Armenian Historical Museum in Yerevan, was among the finds of the ancient Armenian capital, Ani, and was dated from the 10—13th centuries. Unfortunately, its ornamentation cannot be deciphered on the plate, we cannot even state whether there is an inscription on it.

29 From the above examples it is clear that bronzes of this shape were employed as joining-pieces for larger objects. I do not know of any example analogous to the top part, to the tray, of the Stein bronze. I can only mention some pieces which have somewhat similar ornamentation. I should like to stress once more that the tray by itself is quite useless : the protrusion on the bottom makes it impossible to set down. The ornamentation of the tray is simple, well-proportioned and not too crowded. The most characteristic element is the plaited ribbon framing the Naskhi inscriptions in the centre. Similar plaited ribbons frequently occur on Islamic bronzes, mainly of the 12—14th centuries. Rather simple on early pieces, the plaiting later becomes complex and creates several medallions of different size. Generally between the bands there are inscriptions or — especially later — figures. In the smaller medallions, formed at the intertwining of the bands, we see floral designs. Among pieces with similar ornamentation are Iranian bronze pitchers, kettles and other metal objects from the 13th century. However, the same ornamentation is repeated on objects of ceramics or glass. The characteristic simplicity and central arrangement of the ornamentation of our tray is found on Sasanian metals,

30 as well as on metal dishes of the 12th century, such as the well-known Alp Arslan salver, or another dish at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

31 The item closest to our tray, however, is a round brass tray made about the turn of the 12—13th centuries, from the collection of Stuart C. Welch 27 Bahrami, M.: Gurgan Faiences. Cairo, 1949. Pl. 3/B, p. 49. 28 Stein, A.: Innermost Asia. Oxford, 1928. Vol. II. p. 900. Vol. III. Pl. CXVI. 29 Abramyan, V. A.: The crafts in Armenia from the 4th to the 18th century (in Armenian). Yerevan, 1956. p. 62. Fig. 17. 30 Sept mille ans d'art en Iran. Paris, 1961. Pl. C. 31 Diez, E.: Iranische Kunst. Vienna, 1944. p. 215, Fig. 121,