Rosewater sprinkler, cast and engraved bronze
Eastern Iran or Afghanistan; 10th-11th century
H: 13 cm
Inventory number 34/2000
This bottle is an early example of a type that is usually called a rosewater sprinkler. Some of the bottles were undoubtedly used as sprinklers proper, while others might simply have held perfumes or fragrant oils.
The almond-shaped bosses on the body were a favorite form of decoration on early bottles, and might have been intended not only to produce an aesthetic effect, but also to provide a better grip on the bottle. Usually, these vessels have a circular opening, which in some cases was covered with a perforated plate. This one, however, ends in a sculptural goat’s or gazelle’s head from whose mouth the liquid was poured.
The almond-shaped bosses on the body were a favorite form of decoration on early bottles, and might have been intended not only to produce an aesthetic effect, but also to provide a better grip on the bottle. Usually, these vessels have a circular opening, which in some cases was covered with a perforated plate. This one, however, ends in a sculptural goat’s or gazelle’s head from whose mouth the liquid was poured.
Published in
Published in
Kjeld von Folsach: Art from the World of Islam in The David Collection, Copenhagen 2001, cat.no. 489;
Sabiha Al Khemir: Beauty and belief: crossing bridges with the arts of Islamic culture, Brigham Young University Museum of Art, Provo 2012, pp. 108 and 215;
Sheila p. Blair: Text and image in Medieval Persian art, Edinburgh 2014, pp. 92-93, fig. 3.22;
Joachim Meyer: Sensual Delights: Incense Burners and Rosewater Sprinklers from the World of Islam, The David Collection, Copenhagen 2015, cat.no. 13;
Sabiha Al Khemir: Beauty and belief: crossing bridges with the arts of Islamic culture, Brigham Young University Museum of Art, Provo 2012, pp. 108 and 215;
Sheila p. Blair: Text and image in Medieval Persian art, Edinburgh 2014, pp. 92-93, fig. 3.22;
Joachim Meyer: Sensual Delights: Incense Burners and Rosewater Sprinklers from the World of Islam, The David Collection, Copenhagen 2015, cat.no. 13;
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