Islamic Inlaid Mace Head with Qur'anic Verses. c.13th century A.D. A bronze fluted mace head with eight flanges and collared socket, four flanges engraved with Kufic inscriptions, alternating with four flanges engraved with a bird encircled by a floral sprig and flanked by guilloche and foliate motifs, the domed finial with similar shallow ornamentation, the socket with Qur'anic inscriptions and floriate motifs. See Nicolle, D., The military technology of classical Islam, volumes I-III, Edinburgh, 1981; see Nicolle, D., Armies of the Caliphates 862-1098, London, 1998; see Nicolle, D., Arms and Armour of the Crusading Era, 1050-1350, vol. II, London, 1999; see Bashir, M., The Art of the Muslim Knight, The Furusiyya Art Foundation collection, Milan, 2008; for a comparable specimen see a miniature or symbolic bronze mace head from Iran, 12th-13th century A.D., at the Museum of Islamic Art of Cairo (Nicolle, 1999, fig.665, inv.15207), and various examples from the S?m?nid and Salj?k period dated between 10th-12th century, (one in the archaeological Museum of Teheran, 12th century, from Nish?p?r, see Nicolle, 1999, p.263 n.666; the others in the Furusiyya Art Foundation Collection, see Bashir, 2008, pp.246ff, nn.231-234). 815 grams, 19 cm (8 1/2' in.) Formerly with a London gallery; acquired in the 1990s. Property of a London collector; from her family's private collection. Accompanied by an archaeological expertise by Dr. Raffaele D’Amato; This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate no.10303-168917. Mace heads such as this one may have been the la?? described in the written sources (Nicolle, 1998, p.46). A mace head of this type with embryonic flanges could be among those Ni??m Al Mulk described as in use by Turkish slave warriors at the S?m?nid Court, and excavated at Nish?p?r. Later winged or flanged maces could have evolved from this relatively simple polygonal type. Although this specimen is in bronze, many such weapons were likely produced in iron.

Very fine condition.