This item has been added to the Database within the Explore Islamic Art Collections project. Information is available in: English, German, Arabic.

Name of Object:

Receptacle

Location:

Vienna, Austria

Holding Museum:

Kunsthistorisches Museum

About Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Date of Object:

Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century

Museum Inventory Number:

AM_PA_519

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Damast, gold embroidery

Dimensions:

Length: 92cm

Period / Dynasty:

Ottoman

Provenance:

Turkey?

Description:

This container for short cavalry spears (dschirid) comprises a high cylindrical case made of blue damask embroidered with arabesques and crescent moons in gold and red silk. Set among these purely ornamental motifs is a tulip with red embroidered petals. Mounted Ottoman warriors used the short lances originally stored in this receptacle both in battle and in equestrian games; they were thrown at a target by a warrior mounted on a galloping horse.

How date and origin were established:

Comparison with similar objects

How Object was obtained:

Collection of Ambras castle; documented since AD 1882

How provenance was established:

ILG / BOEHEIM, 1883
Inventory of Furniture and Small Artefacts held at Ambras Castle, page 6

Selected bibliography:

Sandbichler, Veronika, Türkische Kostbarkeiten aus dem Kunsthistorischen Museum Wien, exh. cat., Wien: Kunsthistorisches Museum, 1997.
Scheicher, Elisabeth et al. (eds), Kunsthistorisches Museum Sammlungen Schloss Ambras. Die Kunstkammer, Innsbruck: Kunsthistorisches Museum, 1977.

Citation of this web page:

Veronika Sandbichler, Thomas Kuster "Receptacle" in Explore Islamic Art Collections. Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;at;Mus22;5;en

Prepared by: Veronika Sandbichler, Thomas Kuster
Copyedited by: Liz Cooper

MWNF Working Number: AT2 05