Primary Description:
"Spearhead" Flask. Translucent deep purple, appearing black. Blown; gilded, enameled. "Spearhead" flask with tubular neck and inverted pear-shaped body. Rim rounded by reheating; tooled horizontal rib below rim and above shoulder; wall spreads out to rounded shoulder and tapers to pointed but flattened base; pontil mark. Wide gilded bands on rim, ribs, and shoulder form registers for elaborate designs. Neck is filled with network pattern formed of red, white, and deep and powder blue enameled lozenges; all are outlined with gold, and center space is filled with gilded spiral. Shoulder is decorated with three-leaf design of blue and white, alternating with elongated diamond-shaped element in light green or red; from top, this forms eight-point rosette, all outlined in gold. Below shoulder, Kufic inscription in gold. Central body is decorated with opaque white, gold, and deep blue enameled zigzag line; upper and lower bands have gilded outline. Last decorative band is enameled guilloche pattern, somewhat stylized, consisting of white, turquoise, powder blue, deep blue, and red elements.