Mortar made for Abu Bakr ‘Ali Malikzad al-Tabrizi

Overview

This object is a Mortar and Pestle made for Abu Bakr ‘Ali Malikzad al-Tabrizi, made most likely in Iran, from the late 12th-early 13th century. The object is currently displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, object number 91.1.527a, b. It is made of bronze and inlaid with a silver and black compound. Its creator is unknown; however, an inscription on one of the protruding, undecorated squares that were once handles identifies the intended recipient.1 The sides of the object are adorned with various medallions, each surrounded by four winged monsters. From left to right, there is a man with two swords on horseback, holding a severed head. Next, and perhaps most importantly, there is a seated man, encircled by a snake with dragon heads, that is made to represent the pseudo-planetary dragon entity known as al-Jawzahr. To his right is another man on horseback, this time with a bow and arrow. The Arabic around the external top rim reads: “With auspiciousness, blessing, dominion, highness to (our lord), happiness, joy, good health, dignity, victory, ability, mercy, rest, ornament, and continuance to its owner.”2 These each combine to form a mortar that is believed to have carried with it apotropaic benefits to its holder, staving off harm, misfortune, and evil. The object serves as a display of the elite status of its owner, and informs us how artistry interacted with culture and elite power in the medieval Seljuk court.

The Seljuks and Metalworking

Mortar and Pestle made for Abu Bakr 'Ali Malikzad al-Tabrizi, ca. Late 12th century early 13th, Bronze; inlaid with silver and black compound. Metropolitan Musueam of Art, New York, acc. No 91.1.527a, b. [Source](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/444529)

Mortar and Pestle made for Abu Bakr ‘Ali Malikzad al-Tabrizi, ca. Late 12th century early 13th, Bronze; inlaid with silver and black compound. Metropolitan Musueam of Art, New York, acc. No 91.1.527a, b. Source

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Iran in the twelfth century was home to a group of metalworkers and empire builders known to us today as the Seljuks. The prestige that metalwork offered is discussed in the study “Three Medieval Islamic Brasses and The Mosul Tradition of Inlaid Metalwork” by Anna Ballian, where she states that “The inlaid metalwork objects were primarily aimed at the elite of the day; they were expensive and offered their owners social prestige.”3 Metalworking and bronze casting became a mobile way to display wealth and power without technically violating any religious law, leading to a popularity in the craft among elites in the Seljuks.

Conclusion

Additionally, the imagery of al-Jawzahr would have carried vital apotropaic properties to members of the Iranian elite. The Seljuks, a nomadic people originally from Central Asia, can be viewed as participating in a shared visual culture and intellectual tradition through their participation in the depiction of al-Jawzahr. In that vein, the combination of metalworking with an astrologically and mythologically significant figure would have served to embed the luxury item within a larger cosmopolitan culture. Notably, the dragon in this work is not portrayed as a monster to be defeated, as it is in other works like “Isfandiyar’s Third Course: He Slays a Dragon.”4 al-Jawzahr here is not the monster that causes eclipses, as he is often portrayed, but rather a contained presence forming part of the decorative imagery rather than a centerpiece threat.5 As such, this item informs scholars on the nature of luxury items in the Seljuq lands, fitting this mortar within a larger existing tradition of metalworking and bronzecasting to portray prestige, power, authority, and cultural cosmopolitanism.

Bibliography

  1. “Mortar and Pestle made for Abu Bakr ‘Ali Malikzad al-Tabrizi”, ca. Late 12th century early 13th, Bronze; inlaid with silver and black compound. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, acc. No 91.1.527a, b. ↩

  2. “Mortar and Pestle made for Abu Bakr ‘Ali Malikzad al-Tabrizi”, ca. Late 12th century early 13th, Bronze; inlaid with silver and black compound. Metropolitan Musueam of Art, New York, acc. No 91.1.527a, b. ↩

  3. Anna Ballian, “Three Medieval Islamic Brasses and the Mosul Tradition of Inlaid Metalwork,” Μουσείο Μπενάκη 9, no. 9 (October 31, 2013), 116. ↩

  4. “Isfandiyar’s Third Course: He Slays a Dragon”, Folio 434v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp, authored by Abu’l Qasim Firdausi and likely painted by Qasim ibn ‘Ali, ca. 1530, Opaque watercolor, ink, silver, and gold on paper. Metropolitan Musueam of Art, New York, acc. No.1970.301.51. ↩

  5. G. Azarpay, and A. D. Kilmer, “The Eclipse Dragon on an Arabic Frontispiece-Miniature,” Journal of the American Oriental Society 98, no. 4 (1978, 363–74). ↩