Lot 88: AN IRAQI SILVER AND NIELLO CIGARETTE CASE, MID-20TH CENTURY

An Iraqi silver and niello cigarette case of rectangular form with rounded corners. The piece is decorated using the niello technique, where a black metallic alloy is fused into engraved lines on the silver surface. The obverse depicts a riverine landscape featuring two prominent palm trees in the foreground, a traditional mashoof sailing vessel to the right, and a townscape with a domed mosque and single minaret to the left. The reverse features a central niello motif of the Arch of Ctesiphon (Taq Kasra), a Sassanid-era ruin near Baghdad. This style of craftsmanship is characteristic of Mandaean silversmiths operating in the Amara and Baghdad regions during the mid-20th century. The case is constructed with a side hinge and a push-button thumb-piece catch. The interior includes four small metal tabs intended to secure elasticated retaining straps.

L: 14cm, Weight: 166g