Balkan tinned copper rosewater vessel, 18th-19th century

Balkan tinned copper rosewater vessel, 18th–19th century
Tinned copper; engraved and incised decoration
Diameter: 19 cm; height: 6 cm

A small vessel made of tinned copper, used in the Balkans for rosewater, a scented substance with ritual and hygienic uses. The body is round, with a slightly flared lip and a broad rim characteristic of Ottoman oriental forms.

The decoration, executed by engraving and incision, shows geometric and foliate motifs, dominated at the centre by the Seal of Solomon (the Star of David), a symbol with strong apotropaic value in the Islamic tradition and in the folk art of the Balkans.

The uneven patina and the traces of wear confirm the age and long domestic use of the piece. Similar objects are found in museum collections in the Balkans and are associated with the Ottoman metalworking workshops active in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, particularly in the region of Anatolia and the western Balkans.

State of preservation: as shown in the photograph; traces of oxidation and localised losses of the tinning.