User:Anikatnyc/sandbox

***Note to peer reviewer: This sandbox contains additions to the existing Wikipedia article: Aquamanile

Islamic art
Persian aquamaniles predate any zoomorphic aquamaniles known in Europe. An Iranian (Abbasid caliphate), Aquamanile in the form of an eagle, bearing the date 180 AH/CE 796-797 is the earliest dated Islamic object in metalwork. It is cast in bronze, inlaid with silver and copper, and can be found in the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. The city of origin is unknown, as the inscription allows for a variety of interpretations. However, it is theorized that it was made in Iraq or Syria, due to the elaborate technique of decorative inlays that would only have been known to those areas at the time. It is possible that at one point, it was used as a weathervane, due to a hole between the feet; however, this has not been confirmed.

Among the latest in date is one also at the State Hermitage Museum, an Islamic aquamanile depicting a Zebu and calf, from Khorasan, dated 1206. This object is also a rare example of an Islamic automaton, as the (now lost) harness and bridle were movable, as well as the tail, and the bell wrapped around its neck would have rung when poured. The symbolism of the young lion on the top of the aquamanile has been subject to academic debate, due to academic disagreement as to whether the lion is attacking the Zebu or suckling on its back. However, some suggest that it is a depiction of the young mythological king Fereydun and represents his slow ascent to kingship from his humble beginnings as a cattle breeder.

While Islamic law forbids the use of animal depictions in religious settings, and few examples of Islamic aquamaniles survive, it is believed that they were used to a great extent in the Islamic world. The inscription on the Zebu and Calf from Khorasan states that it was "cast in one," or, in other words, was cast using the lost-wax casting process. The complexity of the piece suggests that the artisans involved had accomplished such a technical feat many times before. Aquamanilia were often commissioned by the emerging Islamic upper middle class as a display of wealth. Despite their uniqueness and rarity, Islamic aquamanilia are understudied.