HALL
OF METALWORK
The
most employed metal in the manufacture
of vessels and utensils is the copper
pure or in alloyed form as bronze and
brass. This is because of its
flexibility for flattening and hammering
out without exposing
it to heat. The copper may be left
keeping its red color, or may be
whitened by tin. It may embellished by
encrusting it with some precious metal
such as silver or gold. It may as well
be encrusted with precious stones,
silver or gold or it may also be plated
with gold or silver.
Copper
is generally engraved in depth to get
the motifs clearly stand out by incising
or by hammering the background.
Sometimes it is ornamented with
chiseling, openwork or repoussé . Its
decorations are then, in relief.
Damascus
was famous for the art of encrusting,
and the word expresses this craft in
European languages is derived from
Damascus i.e. Damasquinage ( damascening
). Aleppo and al-Mawsil were also famous
for this craft and Damascus excelled in
the manufacture of steed
and different kinds of arms.
In
the decoration of the traditional copper
vessels. the artist used to adorn the
parts of the vessel with what suits its
shape, for example: the beak is adorned
with light decorations; a band bearing
floral motifs arid sometimes epigraphs
are put round the neck. The trunk is
encircled after that by a large belt
which the artist furnishes in several
parts, with medallions containing human
and animal figures or stylized floral
motifs. He may as well distribute small
medallions on or under the belt, putting
in their place garlands. He may also
place cartridges which he covers with
epigraphic motifs and makes them
alternate with the medallions and with
the circles which contain the animal
figures or the stylized floral and
interwove motifs .
As
for the inscriptions figured on the
copper vessels, they may be texts of
identification, giving the name of the
King or the Prince for whom the vessel
is manufactured ,sometimes the
name of artisan is mentioned. The
inscriptions are, for the most part,
rhymed and express phrases such as:
"
al-ez ad-Da’em wa’l Omr as-Salem
" ( the permanent glory and the
perfect age). They may also give a vague
identification of the
dynasty in power: " Glory to our
Master al-Makhdumi al-Malki an-Nasiri
". These traditional inscriptions
persisted until the Ottoman Period.
The
oldest copper piece is the pitcher found
at Fayymn in Egypt. It is related to the
Umayyad Period . In the
Museum of Damascus, the oldest copper
piece is exhibited in the showcase of
metalwork of the Hall of ar-Raqqah . It
dates back to the third century A.H. = 9
A.D. It may be noted that the pitcher of
Fayyum resembles the terracotta pitcher
of the same period.
Samples of the
charming Arabic decorations :
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