Ewer. Iran, 19th century.
Steel with gold overlay. 47 cm. Courtesy of the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University Art Museums. Gift of John Goelet. 1958.0253

"Glory and prosperity" are usually the first in a series of good wishes inscribed on medieval Islamic metalwork - benefits that those who acquired such vessels presumably hoped would accrue to them through ownership and use.

Glory and prosperity were also characteristics of the civilization that could afford to lavish on vessels and utensils for daily life both the precious materials and the time required to produce such intricate detail. The medieval Islamic world created the richly inlaid style that most embodies Islamic metalwork, but high-quality objects drawing upon pre-Islamic traditions were made in the early centuries of Islam, and high-quality metalwork continued to be made during the later Islamic empires. This exhibition drawn mainly from Harvard's collection, shows the range of Islamic metalwork with objects dating from the sixth century (just before the advent of Islam) to the nineteenth century, many of which have never been on display before.

Organized by Melanie Michailidis, Ph.D. candidate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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