Name of Object:

Stem cup

Location:

London, England, United Kingdom

Holding Museum:

The British Museum

About The British Museum, London

Date of Object:

Hegira early 8th century / AD early 14th century

Museum Inventory Number:

1924.1-25.1

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Enamelled and gilded glass.

Dimensions:

Height 29.3 cm

Period / Dynasty:

Mamluk

Provenance:

Egypt or Syria.

Description:

An enamelled and gilded glass cup with a tall stem. Enamel decoration in blue, green, red and white is concentrated around the shoulder of the cup, comprising round medallions alternating with Arabic inscriptions that repeat the word 'al-alim', the learned. This was a common title for both Mamluk sultans and of high-standing officers of state. Two further bands of pseudo inscriptions in green appear at either end of the stem. A sketchy design of phoenixes with flowers and foliage in red enamel fills the upper surface of the foot. This is one of a group of Mamluk glass objects that reached Europe from China. Active trade relations between China and the Islamic world date back to the AH 2nd/ AD 8th century. However, the absence of plain or marvered glass in China suggests that the enamelled glass arrived there as diplomatic gifts or luxury merchandise. A number of examples of this type of cup survive but their exact function is unknown.

A cup with a tall stem of enamelled and gilded glass, techniques typical of the Mamluk period. The decoration comprises Arabic inscriptions, foliage, floral motifs and phoenixes. This cup was found in China, where it was probably imported shortly after production.

How date and origin were established:

The style and technique of this cup resemble certain Mamluk glass objects of the early 8th / 14th century.

How Object was obtained:

Donated in 1924 by Mrs Julius Spier in memory of her husband, through the National Art Collections Fund.

How provenance was established:

This is one of a number of Mamluk glasses found in China. However, it is clearly made by a Muslim craftsman in Egypt or Syria and, therefore, it was probably exported to China soon after it was made. Later it would have been brought to Europe through trade; it was donated to the Museum by Mrs Julius Spier, whose husband ran a trading company which had weekly auctions of imports from China.

Selected bibliography:

Harden, D., Painter, K., Pinder-Wilson, R., and Tait, H., Masterpieces of Glass, London, 1968, p.116, cat. no. 154.
Hardie, P., "Mamluk glass from China?" in Gilded and Enamelled Glass from the Middle East, (ed. R. Ward), London, 1998, pp.85–90.
Pinder-Wilson, R., "The Islamic Lands and China" in Five Thousand Years of Glass(ed. H. Tait), London, 1991, p.136, cat. no. 171.

Citation of this web page:

Emily Shovelton "Stem cup" in Discover Islamic Art, Museum With No Frontiers, 2026.
https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;uk;Mus01;21;en

Prepared by: Emily ShoveltonEmily Shovelton

Emily Shovelton is a historian of Islamic art. She studied history of art at Edinburgh University before completing an MA in Islamic and Indian art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. Since graduating she has worked on a number of projects at the British Museum. Other recent work includes editing and writing for a digital database of architectural photographs at the British Library. She is currently working on a Ph.D. on “Sultanate Painting in 15th-century India and its relationship to Persian, Mamluk and Indian Painting”, to be completed at SOAS in 2006. A paper on Sultanate painting given at the Conference of European Association of South Asian Archaeologists, held in the British Museum in July 2005, is due to be published next year.
Copyedited by: Mandi GomezMandi Gomez

Amanda Gomez is a freelance copy-editor and proofreader working in London. She studied Art History and Literature at Essex University (1986–89) and received her MA (Area Studies Africa: Art, Literature, African Thought) from SOAS in 1990. She worked as an editorial assistant for the independent publisher Bellew Publishing (1991–94) and studied at Bookhouse and the London College of Printing on day release. She was publications officer at the Museum of London until 2000 and then took a role at Art Books International, where she worked on projects for independent publishers and arts institutions that included MWNF’s English-language editions of the books series Islamic Art in the Mediterranean. She was part of the editorial team for further MWNF iterations: Discover Islamic Art in the Mediterranean Virtual Museum and the illustrated volume Discover Islamic Art in the Mediterranean.

True to its ethos of connecting people through the arts, MWNF has provided Amanda with valuable opportunities for discovery and learning, increased her editorial experience, and connected her with publishers and institutions all over the world. More recently, the projects she has worked on include MWNF’s Sharing History Virtual Museum and Exhibition series, Vitra Design Museum’s Victor Papanek and Objects of Desire, and Haus der Kulturen der Welt’s online publication 2 or 3 Tigers and its volume Race, Nation, Class.

MWNF Working Number: UK1 25