Lot n° 99
Estimation :
1200 - 1500
EUR
Ottoman Pilgrimage Ewer - Lot 99
Ottoman Pilgrimage Ewer
Tombak (copper gilded with mercury)
Turkey, second half of the 18th century, Ottoman Empire
H. 27.5 cm
A pitcher typical of Ottoman tombak production, featuring a pear-shaped body with repoussé floral decoration, a ringed neck, a sinuous handle and spout, and a lid (attached separately) topped with a circular knob and a small handle. Attachment rings on the body were used to thread a small chain connecting it to the original lid and spout stopper.
Tombak, or mercury-gilded copper, is a technique particularly prized in the Ottoman world for gilding prestigious objects, such as ewers and their basins, armor components like helmets, shields and visors, and other copper objects that were made luxurious by the application of this thick gilding. The term is thought to derive from the Malay word *tumbaga*, used to refer to a copper alloy.
Two comparable ewers are featured in the exhibition catalog by Grünberg, E., and Torn, E. M., *Four Centuries of Ottoman Taste*, The Kyburg Gallery, London, April 6–22, 1988, no. 40. Both of these examples have retained their original lids and chains.
(Lid and spout stopper added later)
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