FIGURED METAL TANKARD LOCATED IN KAYSERİ SELCUK CIVILIZATION MUSEUM

Abstract

The subject of this study is a figurative metal tankard located in the Kayseri Seljuk Civilization Museum. The artwork, acquired through purchase, is a unique piece with its decorative figurative designs on the body. Made of a copper alloy bronze material using the casting technique, the tankard has a conical short-ring base and a pear-shaped body. The body of the artwork is divided into eight sections adorned with herringbone motifs. Within these eight sections, there are seated human figures and various rosettes with different ornaments. On the neck of the artwork, there is an inscription written in Thuluth script, conveying good wishes to its owner. The artwork has undergone extensive corrosion both internally and externally and has been subject to restoration.

The aim of this study is to present and describe the form and decorative characteristics of the artwork in detail, and to propose a possible date based on these features, by comparing it with similar examples. The artwork possesses unique features with its decorations on the body, and although an identical piece has not been found in research, a few similar pieces with similar decorations and forms have been encountered in foreign museums. In our study, the tankard was evaluated by relating its material, form, the use of herringbone motifs on the body, the details of the figures’ faces, clothing, and headgear, as well as the rosettes on the lower part of the body, to similar examples. While it is not possible to determine the exact place of production of the artwork acquired for the Kayseri Seljuk Civilization Museum through purchase, based on its iconographic features and the characteristics of the inscribed text, it is suggested that it can be dated to the Seljuk period.