A LARGE MAMLUK-REVIVAL TINNED COPPER TRAY BY GIUSEPPE (YUSEF) PARVIS
Egypt, dated 1317 AH (1899 - 1900 AD)

Of large circular shape, resting on a flat, plain base, rising to a flattened, everted rim, the interior finely engraved with typical Mamluk motifs including a central rosette medallion inscribed Muhammad against a dense vegetal scrolling ground, surrounded by an alternating band of strapwork and split palmette scrolls, and large epigraphic Arabic cartouches in pseudo-thuluth script against spiralling ground interspersed amidst flowering roundels with smaller inscriptions in naskh script reading the Arabic name of the maker Yusef Parvis, the date (sanat) 1317 AH and the location (Mesr, Egypt), all surrounded by an abundance of vegetal trellis and arabesque medallions, around the outer border and the rim more decorative cartouches repeating the same Mamluk-revival motifs, 62.5cm diam.

The naskh and thuluth inscriptions engraved on this tray appear to be repeating to the same epigraphic programme of the Mamluk kursi (Qur'an rest or table) belonging to Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun, currently in the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo. An exact copy of this kursi, dating to 1880, is in the British Museum collection (inv. no. 1925,0407.1).