Oriental vessel

The bronze vessel is of oriental origin. It is considerably wider in the upper half and tapers towards the bottom. Its surface is adorned with geometric and swirling ornamentation. A band, breaking at blunt and sharp angles, forms stylised interlaced rosettes completely filled with swirling decoration, forming a star in the centre. On the vessel’s shoulder, there is an Arabic or Ottoman calligraphic inscription adorned with swirling ornamentation. The domed lid features a wattle decoration of interlaced two-strand bands, with the only unadorned part being the shallow neck.

The dating of the vessel cannot be accurately determined as it lacks any manufacturer’s marks, and oriental vessels were used for 300 to 400 years. It can be confidently stated that it dates before 1909 as it appears in Vlaho Bukovac’s painting White Slave. Our collection does not comprise this particular painting, yet we do possess a photograph (KB-1060) and its postcard reproduction (KB-1105/6). Indeed, the vessel is a common motif in Vlaho Bukovac’s paintings, such as in the work Daughter Jelica Painting from 1921 (KB-983).

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