An Ayyubid brass magic bowl or 'poison cup'

Egypt or Syria, 13th/ 14th Century

Footnotes

Inscriptions: to the centre, the basmalah; Qur'an, chapter LXXXIV (al-Inshiqaq), verses 1-parts of 4; text mentioning Colic; Qur'an, chapter ICIV (al-Sharh), verses 5 & 6; followed by magic words and letters; chapter LXV (al-Talaq), parts of verse 3; magic words and letters in Kufic and cursive, the seal of Solomon and magic squares with numbers. To the exterior, beginning with 'This blessed bowl is for' and then lists of what it is for and against, including the sting of serpent and scorpion, bite of a rabid dog, abdominal pains and colic, ending with if one drinks three times from it, one will be cured with God's help.

The present lot is typical of the group of talismanic bowls known as 'poison cups'. Poison cups are never dated and are all attributed to Syria or Egypt. They are characterised by representations of a scorpion, serpent, a dog-like animal and two intertwined dragons along with magical symbols, squares and words. For further reading see Francis Maddison and Emilie Savage-Smith, Science, Tools & Magic, London, 1997, pp. 73-74. For two similar examples sold in these rooms, see Bonhams, Islamic & Indian Art, 4 October 2011, lot 137 & Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 25 October 2022, lot 34. Another comparable brass bowl was sold at Sotheby's, Arts of the Islamic World, 1 April 2009, lot 60.