A SUPERB MINIATURE ‘BROCARD’ MAMLUK-STYLE ENAMELLED GLASS MOSQUE LAMP
FRANCE, PARIS, PHILIPPE-JOSEPH BROCARD, DATED 1874
Estimate: £8,000 - £12,000
Auction: 11 December 2024 from 10:00 GMT
Description
with squat body and three loop handles, wide flaring neck, and short splayed foot, all decorated in gilt and polychrome, the body with a band of floral sprays, a narrow band of meandering floral vines below, the neck decorated with a wide band of thuluth inscriptions on a blue ground, foot signed ‘Brocard 1874'
Dimensions
13.5cm high
Provenance
Prominent UK Collection.
Footnote
The inscription is copied from a Mamluk piece with the titles of al-Malik al-Nasir:
“Glory to our lord the sultan, the king, the learned, the just, al-Malik al-Nasir, may (God) glorify his victory.”
Philippe-Joseph Brocard (1831-1896) was a pioneer in the development of glassmaking in the second half of the 19th century. He started his career as a restorer and collector of antiques however he was so captivated by the Mamluk mosque lamps in the Musee de Cluny, Paris, that he started to collect and study them. His interest led him to rediscover and master early Mamluk techniques such as using firm, colourful enamels to decorate his glass models. Brocard's design repertoire consisted largely of floral and geometric ornament and Arabic calligraphy. However, as he could not read Arabic his calligraphy sometimes contained errors. Brocard’s work attracted a wide audience, and his objects were included in the Universal Exhibitions of the second half of the 19th century. Today Brocard's creations are housed in museums and collections around the world, including the British Museum (inv. no. M&ME 1902,11-18,1), the Victoria and Albert Museum (inv. no. 71-1890), and the Corning Museum of Glass (inv. no. 78.3.16).