Featured Antique Lamp? Beautiful, looks to be ceramic and iron

I can see this as a lion similar to the one moreotherstuff shows:



And I can see a lioness here:




If the other creature is a deer, think we are looking at a hunting scene.

 

May I suggest contacting a major gallery like Sotheby’s or Swann or perhaps a local dealer specializing in Islamic Art. All the items, without exception, that I have seen with “Monif” labels seem to be only of the highest value (selling in the thousands of dollars). I would be concerned about the current value caused by the damage but from what I see it is restorable by a professional. The best of luck to you. Above all else enjoy the excitement of each new discovery you make while unravelling the mystery.

 

Thank you all so much! I am actually having great difficulty finding anyone to appraise or buy this piece. I am at a loss. I have contacted Christie's, Sothebys and what feels like a hundred other places, and have had only a couple responses. Christies and Sothebys do not respond to auction requests if the piece is not worth over 5k, which clearly this one isn't, since they have not bothered to respond. I have not tried Swanns though so that will be my project for tomorrow evening after work. Thank you for that suggestion.

I was wrong in my dating, (no surprise there, I am a complete amateur) I now believe that it is an 12-13th century stonepaste or fritware moldedware piece from Iran, thanks to a very knowledgeable person who responded to one of my inquiries.

I have had a bit of a change of circumstance and I am now very interested in selling but I am absolutely not sure of where to turn. I have contacted a great deal of auction houses AND museums and collectors, and have had only one response (from the kind lady telling me it is almost certainly 12th-13th century).

I am sending this post out into the great wide webs to see if anyone here has any idea where I go from here. My husband has suggested we eBay it but that seems a silly place to sell something so unique. And I have no idea what price point I would even start an auction at! It is hard to know if I am looking at a few hundred dollars or a few thousand.

 

That is what I thought! I just love the animals, I have set up the vessel next to my work space and spend a great deal of time staring at it and day dreaming about the hands that carved the beasts, what did their workspace look like? What would a typical lunch look like for them? Did they love their job? Who was using this vessel, what did it look like when brand new? I get going on quite the tangents.. lol!

Question- Would a hunting scene typically include a human, on horse or on foot?

 

Hey everyone! I never was able to find anyone to do an appraisal on it. It's been sitting in a spot of honour in my house since we got it in 2017. I love it so much

I would love to be more sure of its provenance but for now, we just enjoy having it and knowing it's very old. I stare at it and try to imagine the life of the person that made it and the family who used it. What did they store in it? What did it look like in its prime?

 

Hi there,well this is an interesting “blast from the past” message. I still need to read the whole thread but it’s certainly a beautiful and intriguing vase/pot and a very nice thing to have. Pity someone made it into a lamp way back when.

Also a pity that after all these years you still couldn’t find anyone for a appraisal or valuation? (Why was nobody interested?) What did they say?

Anyway maybe someone on the forum can now provide new information or perspective. Good thing you kept it!