Mamluk Perfume Sprinkler with Fish Motifs

Perfume sprinklers or "qamaqim" (plural of "qumqum") with enamelled and gilded decoration were characteristic of Mamluk glass production. This free-blown glass sprinkler presents a globular shape and flattened body with a pronounced kicked-in base, and a long neck that gradually narrows to a pinprick-size opening. The body of the sprinkler is decorated in blue enamel and gilding, outlined in red with a broad frieze of interlaced palmettes, while four gilded fish encircle the shoulder. The fish motif became a popular decorative feature of early Mamluk enamelled glass and is often associated with prosperity. These long-necked glass sprinklers were probably used as perfume or rose water containers by elite members of Mamluk society.