Egyptian Mamluk Revival Vase, silver & brass, with elaborate damascene work, 12" tall, 10 3/4" diameter.....Sometimes referred to as ‘Cairo-ware’, this vase has a body of brass applied with silver and copper and ornamented with Arabic calligraphy amidst arabesques designs.Throughout Islamic history, metal dishes have been treasured by the middle class. These objects were made to be durable and functional and were mostly used for food preparation and service.This vase was made with a technique that is very popular in the Islamic world: inlaying precious or soft metals into harder metals. This technique originated in the city of Herat, in eastern Iran, around the year 1163. Once adopted, this technique’s popularity spread throughout the Islamic world.Many fine examples of inlay art were created in Iran, Egypt and Syria during the 13th and 14th centuries, reaching a ‘Golden Age’ during the Mamluk period (1250 – 1517) where, in the workshop of Motzol, the finest examples where made. The vessels were manufactured in Cairo and Damascus, and became well known throughout the Islamic world.During the 19th and 20th Centuries, when these vases where made, there was a revival of the Mamluk style. Metal smiths and artists looked to emulate the works of the Mamluk period with Muslims, European and people from around the world taking a renewed interest in the Mamluk period.Craftsmen re-interpreted and revived the Mamluk style, inlaying brass with silver, copper, even gold, and taking the work to a new height.This vase exemplify the Mamluk revival period. When brass, an ordinary metal, is inlaid with silver in this manner, it creates an impressive and high-status item.