Another Dahl

[ALEX]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Salaams Iain, The work is done remarkably fast. It employs a technique called spinning which is an old style of lathe application... where a die is rammed into a fast spinning object usually a plate or shield shape... and a cyclic pattern is imprinted on the revolving surface with some weight behind the spinning imprint... using a rudimentary lathe... Spinning. It goes back a long way... 11 th C but also commonly seen in the 19th and 20th. The give away sign is a dot in the centre of the work. The entire pattern can be inscribed or occasionally added decoration can be made by mallet and chisel after the main pattern is rammed home.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

To demonstrate Ibrahiim's comment, here's Seljuk bronze plate, presumably around 12th C. Notice the center dot indicating the referenced spinning. The item shows some genuine age based on patina. The quality of chiseling is quite crude due to the inferior production method.