Islamic Inlaid Metalwork

Timeline

1. c. 820–860Baghdad · IraqIn the first half of the 9th century, Abbasid court workshops and those near Samarra systematized the inlay technique of chasing grooves into bronze bodies, inserting silver wire or copper sheets, and polishing, commonly used on incense burners, candlesticks, inkwells, and ewers, with geometric, arabesque, and inscription band motifs.
2. c. 850–900Nishapur · KhurasanIn the mid-to-late 9th century, centers of inlaid metalware production spread to cities in Khurasan and Transoxiana; finds from Nishapur, Bukhara, and elsewhere show combined silver-copper inlay and niello filling, exported to Central Asia, India, and Mediterranean ports via the Silk Road.
3. c. 890–950Mosul · Northern MesopotamiaFrom the late 9th to the 10th century, Mosul became an important center of inlaid metalware production, its craftsmen renowned for fine figures, animals, and Arabic inscriptions; the later Western term 'Mosul inlaid metalwork' derives from this tradition.