Less Than Perfect

Less Than Perfect

Watertight

Brass Basin
  • Basin with fishpond motif with copper alloy repairs
  • Brass and copper alloys
  • Syria or Egypt, Ayyubid Dynasty, 12th–13th centuries
  • Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, KM 28801
Map

The silver and gold inlay that once adorned this elegant brass basin has long since worn away. Over the course of its use, thin areas of the vessel walls wore through. Metal patches were attached to the interior to keep it watertight, allowing the fish inscribed on the base interior to continue to appear to swim in a pool of clear water.