  
  About the Artwork
  
  
  When this bottle was made, glass vessels decorated with brightly colored enamels (powdered glass) and gold were treasured luxury items throughout the Mediterranean world and the Middle East. Made by specialist workshops in Egypt and Syria during the Mamluk period (1250 &acirc;&#128;&#147; 1517), they were widely exported to royal courts and for high-end trade.
 
The Arabic inscription encircling the body of this bottle indicates that it was made for the Rasulid sultan Dawud (reigned 1296 &acirc;&#128;&#147; 1321) of Yemen. Whether commissioned by the sultan or sent as a diplomatic gift, the vessel celebrates his rule. The inscription calls him &acirc;&#128;&#156;Lion of the World and Religion&acirc;&#128;&#157; (Hizabr al-Dunya wa&acirc;&#128;&#153;l-Din) and wishes him victory and glory. A second inscription, around the bottle&acirc;&#128;&#153;s neck, repeats &acirc;&#128;&#156;the learned&acirc;&#128;&#157; &acirc;&#128;&#148; an implicit reference to the sultan. The five-petaled rosette, the emblem of the Rasulid dynasty (1229 &acirc;&#128;&#147; 1454), is prominently featured between the two inscriptions.
 
Bottles like this one have been identified as wine decanters, but they may have contained a range of beverages, including sherbets and water as well as wine. During festive gatherings, a servant could have gripped the bottle from its base and its long neck while pouring drinks for guests.
  
  
  Title
  Bottle Made for the Rasulid Sultan Dawud
  
  
  Artwork Date
  between 1296 and 1321
  
  
  
  
  Makers
  
  
  (Artist)
  Islamic, Egyptian
  (Artist)
  Syrian
  
  
  
  Medium
  Glass, gold, enamel
  
  
  Dimensions
  Overall: 14 3/4 &Atilde;&#151; 7 3/4 inches (37.5 &Atilde;&#151; 19.7 cm)
  
  
  Classification
  Glass
  
  
  Department
  Islamic Art
  
  
  Credit
  City of Detroit Purchase
  
  
  
  Accession Number
  
  
  
  This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection.
  Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum&acirc;&#128;&#153;s holdings.
  For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems&acirc;&#128;&#148;no longer assigned&acirc;&#128;&#148;that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups.
  
  
  
  30.416
  
  
  Copyright
  Public Domain
  
  
  
