Religious objects (2) - Ablution and Word: Indo-Islamic vessel for purification and a manuscript page of tafsīr - 1850-1900 Rule of the British Raj
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Selected by Surya Rutten
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Two-item lot: an Indo-Islamic purification vase from Kashmir, India, and a handwritten Arabic tafsīr page framed under glass, dating to the late 19th century during the British Raj; origin India, dynastic style British Raj, period 1850–1900, original attribution, vase height 18 cm, frame 18 × 16 cm, vase diameter not stated, condition good with minor signs of age.
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Description from the seller
Elegant set consisting of an Indo-Islamic copper alloy vase and a handwritten page from a Qur'anic commentary (tafsīr), framed between two glasses, smoked on the back and clear on the front. The vase, originating from Kashmiri artisan workshops and datable to the late 19th century, is made of engraved metal and painted with cold enamel, following Srinagar's traditional decorative technique. The surface is entirely covered with a sequence of ogival and floral motifs in a Persian taste, in a vibrant palette of reds, whites, greens, and ochre, reminiscent of late Mughal Indo-Islamic aesthetics. Due to its shape and size, the vase may have served domestic or ritual functions, likely related to ablution, in line with the widespread use of ornamental vessels intended for purification before prayer.
Accompanying it is a handwritten page in Arabic, likely taken from a 19th-century tafsir from the Persian-Indian region, executed with black and red ink on oriental paper with a gold border within thin frames. The style of the writing and the slight irregularities of the ink attest to a handwritten copy by a local calligrapher. The text appears to relate to an ethical and devotional passage aimed at calling man to gratitude, moderation, and righteousness. A transliterated and translated rendering of a typical passage from such commentaries might be approximated by the following example.
And know that the grace is from Allah, so do not be among the heedless.
And know that all goodness comes from God: therefore, do not be among those who forget.
The joint presence of a vessel potentially intended for ablutions and a fragment of a religious manuscript gives the lot a particularly evocative dimension, suitable for evoking the domestic and ritual atmosphere of Indo-Islamic homes from the nineteenth to the early twentieth century.
Dimensions:
Cornice with tafsīr page, 18 cm x 16 cm.
Glazed vase, 16 cm high.
Elegant set consisting of an Indo-Islamic copper alloy vase and a handwritten page from a Qur'anic commentary (tafsīr), framed between two glasses, smoked on the back and clear on the front. The vase, originating from Kashmiri artisan workshops and datable to the late 19th century, is made of engraved metal and painted with cold enamel, following Srinagar's traditional decorative technique. The surface is entirely covered with a sequence of ogival and floral motifs in a Persian taste, in a vibrant palette of reds, whites, greens, and ochre, reminiscent of late Mughal Indo-Islamic aesthetics. Due to its shape and size, the vase may have served domestic or ritual functions, likely related to ablution, in line with the widespread use of ornamental vessels intended for purification before prayer.
Accompanying it is a handwritten page in Arabic, likely taken from a 19th-century tafsir from the Persian-Indian region, executed with black and red ink on oriental paper with a gold border within thin frames. The style of the writing and the slight irregularities of the ink attest to a handwritten copy by a local calligrapher. The text appears to relate to an ethical and devotional passage aimed at calling man to gratitude, moderation, and righteousness. A transliterated and translated rendering of a typical passage from such commentaries might be approximated by the following example.
And know that the grace is from Allah, so do not be among the heedless.
And know that all goodness comes from God: therefore, do not be among those who forget.
The joint presence of a vessel potentially intended for ablutions and a fragment of a religious manuscript gives the lot a particularly evocative dimension, suitable for evoking the domestic and ritual atmosphere of Indo-Islamic homes from the nineteenth to the early twentieth century.
Dimensions:
Cornice with tafsīr page, 18 cm x 16 cm.
Glazed vase, 16 cm high.
Details
Era
1400-1900
Specific region of origin
Kashmir
No. of items
2
Material
Ablution and Word: Indo-Islamic vessel for purification and a manuscript page of tafsīr
Country of Origin
India
Height
18 cm
Dynastic Style/Period
Rule of the British Raj
Width
16 cm
Depth
0 cm
Condition
Good condition - used with small signs of aging & blemishes
Attribution
Original
Sold with stand
No
Estimated period
1850-1900
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