Lot 163: A PERSIAN TINNED COPPER MAGIC OR DIVINATION BOWL, SAFAVID, 18TH CENTURY

A tinned copper alloy magic bowl, also known as a healing or divination bowl (tasa), Safavid dating to the 18th century. The vessel is of rounded, shallow form with a slightly flared rim and a raised circular foot. The entire surface, both interior and exterior, is densely decorated with fine engraving. The exterior features a prominent horizontal band of Arabic calligraphy in a cursive script, possibly containing Quranic verses such as the Throne Verse (Ayat al-Kursi) or the Ninety-Nine Names of God. This is bordered by narrower registers filled with repetitive talismanic symbols and Arabic-Indic numerals. The interior is intricately decorated with a series of intersecting pointed arches creating multiple compartments, each densely packed with further script, magical squares (wafq), and numerical formulas. The centre of the interior features a circular medallion with concentric rings of calligraphic and talismanic patterns.

D: 20cm