Work of Art DetailsBeaker Description: This unique glass vessel reflects religious, historical, and cultural connections between Islam and Christianity. The work dates from the Crusader period (1097-1291), when Islamic imagery, including inscriptions in Arabic, as here, was often combined with Christian themes. It includes compositions in which figures resembling saints alternate with two-storied, domed structures that may represent monastic communities. A smaller vessel in the Walters collection (Walters 47.18), perhaps made to pair with this beaker, depicts a figure riding a white donkey-possibly Christ entering Jerusalem. Artist: Anonymous (Syrian) Inscriptions & Markings: [Translation] Glory to our lord the Sultan, the royal, the diligent, the wise, the defender, the protector of frontiers, the fortified by God, the triumphant Culture: Islamic Period: Crusader Dynasty: Mamluk Country: Syria Provenance: Dikran Kelekian, Paris and New York; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1925, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest. Credit Line: Acquired by Henry Walters, 1925 |
