A Deesis mould in Berlin: Christian–Muslim cultural interchange between Iran, Syria and Mesopotamia in the early thirteenth century

Abstract

Material culture, particularly that belonging to the assumed category of ‘Islamic’ art with Christian scenes, forms the focus of this article. This is undertaken through consideration of a ceramic object from medieval Iran now in Berlin, a mould with the scene of the Deesis, which is signed by a Muslim craftsman, also a coppersmith. A central issue is that of cultural ambiguity, which can be pursued though analogies with twelfth–thirteenth-century metalwork. Metalwork with Christian scenes is invariably considered as ‘Islamic’ art with the emphasis on style rather than iconographic content; in other words, the medium rather than the message is often prioritized. This article seeks to redress the balance by suggesting a more substantive role for the Christian imagery employed here.