Perfume Sprinkler
Unknown Artist
14th century
Medium
Glass; enameled
Dimensions
Ht. 4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm) W. 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm) D. 2 in. (5.1 cm) Wt. 2.3 oz. (65.2 g)
Classification
Glass
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Theodore M. Davis Collection, Bequest of Theodore M. Davis, 1915
Accession Number
30.95.198
Art Historical Context
This exquisite **Perfume Sprinkler** from the 14th century exemplifies the refined artistry of Islamic glassmaking. Crafted from enameled glass, it measures a delicate 4 3/8 inches (11.1 cm) in height, with a width of 2 5/8 inches (6.7 cm) and depth of 2 inches (5.1 cm), making it perfectly suited for handheld use. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art Department, it entered the collection through the bequest of Theodore M. Davis in 1915. In medieval Islamic society, perfume sprinklers like this one—often called *mabkhara*—were indispensable for dispersing rosewater or other ...