Lot 248: A JERUSALEM BITUMINOUS LIMESTONE FOOTED BOWL WITH ARABIC AND ITALIAN INSCRIPTIONS, BETHLEHEM, LATE 19TH - EARLY 20TH

A JERUSALEM BITUMINOUS LIMESTONE FOOTED BOWL WITH ARABIC AND ITALIAN INSCRIPTIONS, BETHLEHEM, LATE 19TH – EARLY 20TH

A hand-turned footed bowl crafted from dark bituminous limestone, traditionally known as Dead Sea stone. The bowl features elaborate incised decoration throughout, with the engravings highlighted by a white pigment infill to provide contrast against the dark matte surface of the stone. The interior is decorated with three concentric bands of Arabic calligraphy containing the Ayat al-Kursi (Throne Verse, Quran 2:255). The central floor of the bowl features a six-petalled rosette within a circular border. The exterior body displays a wide scrolling foliate band above a lower register of gadrooned petal motifs. Around the mid-body, there are two distinct inscriptions: an incised Roman script reading PIETRA DEL MAR MORTO and a corresponding Arabic script reading حجر البحر الميت (Hajar al-Bahr al-Mayyit), both identifying the material as Stone of the Dead Sea. This type of object was produced in the Jerusalem and Bethlehem regions during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a souvenir for pilgrims.

Diameter: 12.5cm