Antique 16th Century Islamic Safavid Al Jazari Combination Locking Brass Casket. Circa 1550 Decorative Arts signed & dated lower left

signed & dated lower left "F

5" diameter X 2" deep

The globular bases having three oval finely hand-painted floral panels with gilded foliate surrounds

acquired in London in the late 1930s

Antique 16th Century Islamic Safavid Al Jazari Combination Locking Brass Casket. Circa 1550 Decorative Arts signed & dated lower leftA highly important engraved Islamic combination locking brass casket, based on a design by the 12th Century Arab inventor & artist Ismail Al Jazari. Circa 1550. The casket from the mid 16th century (or possibly earlier) Safavid period & having a hinged lid with riveted strapwork. There are four dials on the top of the lid and they are repeated on each of the four sides, each dial having circular engraved bands with Arabic letters, the casket is