{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O76860"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O76860/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BB3344/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BB3344/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BB3344","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BB3345","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BB3346","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BB3347","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BB3348","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BB3349","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BB3350","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O76860/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O76860","accessionNumber":"M.86-1969","objectType":"Inkwell","titles":[{"title":"Inkwell (davat)","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Circular flat base, slightly tapering walls terminating in a narrow rib and a short, recessed rim which projects over the well, to hold the now missing cover.  The body has two trilobed attachment plates riveted with copper nails.  One of these has retained a ring in the shape of a palmette.   Although ancient, it may  not be original to the piece. Beneath each attachment plate is an epigraphic section in a horizontal fillet with incurving sides.\r\n\r\nThe body is engraved with three niches, each with cusped upper arches and waisted jambs.  Each frames a seated figure set against a scrolling foliate ground:\r\n\r\n1.  a seated musician, wearing a turban with two bands of cloth, his head framed by a halo of glory.  Seated three-quarters to the right, in his right hand he holds an unindentified musical instrument.  \r\n2.  a cross-legged scribe, also tubanned and haloed, seated facing the spectator, writing with a pointed reed on a wooden tablet that is inscribed, 'for the teacher'.\r\n3.  a kneeling figure turned in the direction of the scribe but looking out at the spectator, holds out a rectangular object with a hole in the centre.  He/she wears a cap whch is surrounded by the halo of glory.\r\n\r\nPairs of roundels flank each niche.\r\n\r\nOn the underside of the base, three sections of a plaited motif are enclosed by cartouches with double framing fillets.  There is a hole at the centre.\r\n\r\nOn the inner projecting rim 15 arches have been engraved with dividers. \r\n\r\nPatina: blackish with olive undertones, removed by acid cleaning over decorated areas.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28674"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"bronze","id":"AAT10957"}],"techniques":[{"text":"engraved","id":"AAT53829"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Cast bronze, engraved with champlevé decoration and filled with black composition.","categories":[{"text":"Islam","id":"THES48932"}],"styles":[{"text":"Iranian","id":"x35873"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"MES","id":"THES48607"},"images":["2006BB3344","2006BB3345","2006BB3346","2006BB3347","2006BB3348","2006BB3349","2006BB3350"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES367333"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Inkwell","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Khorasan","id":"THES412603"},"association":{"text":"cast","id":"x32615"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Iran","id":"x30220"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1150-1225","earliest":"1150-01-01","latest":"1225-12-31"},"association":{"text":"cast","id":"x32615"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"5.6 - 5.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"7.35 - 7.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"of moulding level","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"7.5 - 7.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"of underside","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"Persian","medium":"","method":"engraved","position":"words written in the depiction of a wooden tablet by the seated scribe","script":"naskhi","translation":"For the teacher","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Persian; naskhi; words written in the depiction of a wooden tablet by the seated scribe; engraved"},{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"inner rim","script":"kufic","translation":"felicity, divine favour, prophetic intercession","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"kufic; inner rim"}],"objectHistory":"Purchased for £195 from Mr Said Motamed, Frankfurt, 29 July 1969","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Cast bronze, engraved with champlevé designs filled with black composition.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Melikian-Chirvani, A.S. <u>Islamic Metalwork from the Iranian World,</u> London:HMSO, 1982, p124, ISBN 0 11 290252 9"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"musician","id":"AAT25666"},{"text":"scribe","id":"AAT25580"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["M.86-1969"],"accessionNumberNum":"86","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1969,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-10-02","recordCreationDate":"2003-03-18","availableToBook":true}}