with slightly flaring cylindrical body with flat shoulder on a short foot with cylindrical neck rising to a covered spout, the associated strap handle terminating in a palmette at either end, with thumb-rest, the body engraved with palmette and scrolling vine-filled medallions and columns between, all on a chain motif band, above and below bands of kufic inscription with crescents between, the shoulder with a further band of inscription with palmette roundels. This ewer is made of hammered bronze, a pouring spout projects from its cylindrical neck. The handle is attached from the upper part of the neck to the mid part of the body. The entire piece rests on a flaring foot. The surface is decorated with relief engraved bands with Arabic inscriptions, all benedictory – on the body, the shoulder and the neck. Inlaid floral and vegetal motifs are also ed for decoration. The neck bears two embossed sitting lions with their right forepaws raised. 44cm Tall  Footnotes: The animated well spaced and perfectly suited decoration is in tune with the artistic production of the mid 12th century, when a huge variety of decorative themes and typologies were spurred,missioned by the emerging strong bourgeoisie in northeastern Iran. Inscriptions occur on nearly every object and ually consist of anonymo wishes, though sometimes they might provide information about patrons, makers and dates of manufacture. Metalwork in the Near East and Central Asia has always enjoyed a prestige beyond that of other applied arts such as ceramics and textiles. Major pieces were speciallymissioned and often bear dedications to the princes and great nobles for whom they were made, together with the proudly inscribed names of their makers and decorators; their very durability and impressive appearance give them a high standing and dignity of their own. The best pieces were in bronze, either engraved, inlaid, overlaid or beaten in repose', that is hammered out from behind of designs to appear in relief on the surface. The roots of Islamic metalwork are to be found in Byzantium and Persia. In the early 7th century the Arabs took over these two great empires and absorbed local metal techniques and typologies, and contributed to a new development in metalwork by adding inscriptions in kufic script. Not much is known of the art of metalwork in Persia and Central Asia in the early Islamic period, with the exception of few large dishes datable to the Ghaznavids, until the Seljuq period, when new forms started to appear, while lavish inlays and incrtation of gold, silver and copper crept onto the surface.