Antique Middle Eastern Ottoman Islamic Hand-Engraved Copper Bowl

A hand-raised copper bowl decorated with chased and engraved ornament in the Ottoman or broader Persianate tradition. The exterior carries two distinct registers: an upper frieze of stylized Arabic script set within lobed cartouches and separated by interlaced geometric strapwork, bounded above and below by fine guilloche borders; and a lower floral register of large palmette and pomegranate motifs linked by scrolling vine and tendril work that wraps continuously around the body. The hammered foot ring is defined by an additional guilloche band at its base. The underside retains a partial hallmark and shows a solder repair at the foot seam.

Bowls of this form served both domestic and ritual purposes across the Ottoman and Persianate worlds — as tas drinking vessels, ablution basins, and food service ware — and the combination of a calligraphic upper band over a vegetal lower register is consistent with metalwork produced across the region from the eighteenth century onward. The quality of the engraving, with its confident line and dense ground-filling, is consistent with a skilled provincial workshop tradition.

CONDITION

Good with age-appropriate wear throughout. The rim is slightly out-of-round from handling, and the engraved surfaces show softening at high points consistent with use. The base interior retains a lead or tin solder repair around the foot seam.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Diameter: 7.5"
• Height: 3.5"
• Weight: 1 lb 5 oz
• Material: Copper
• Marks: Partial hallmark to underside
• Script: Arabic
• Origin: Ottoman or Persianate tradition