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Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
Beautifully written and fantastically informative write up Ibrahiim! Thank you so much. While I've heard of these amuletic containers, I have never heard of one still containing the actual written paper! I've always associated niello with Caucasian and in some cases Central Asian areas, was it well known in other areas of Dar al Islam as well?
All the best,
Jim
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Salaams Jim. Research indicates that boxes like these were worked(repouse or embossing) on as solid items filled with pitch and when decorated the pitch was warmed and drained out... Neillo. I see a lot in Persian, Turkoman, Silk Road artefacts but it expands to many areas with its primitive darkening technique which was originally soot, oil, sulphur charcoal then the surface polished leaving a blackened background. In Palestine they used a clever copying technique called "sand copying" essentially a "clay with sugar added" mold in which the pattern was set.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.