Islamic Metalwork from Ghazni: the Rawza Museum Collection

This paper will illustrate one aspect of the material culture from Ghazni: the Islamic metalwork. In the early sixties Umberto Scerrato, who directed the Italian Archaeological Mission in Afghanistan for several years, was so far-seeing as to record the metalwork collections of Afghan museums along with the new pieces that came to his attention during the excavation campaigns. Thanks to this effort, we now have at our disposal a photographic documentation of extraordinary extent. One major collection is stored in Rawza.
The Rawza Museum was established in 1966 by the Italians in a highly evocative place. It stands on the Rawza hill, in the north-east end of Ghazni, close to the tomb of the great Ghaznavid ruler Mahmud. A historical building, the mausoleum dedicated to ʻAbd al-Razzaq was restored and chosen to house the Islamic Arts collection.
The metalwork collection counts more than 200 objects of different kinds - from trays to oil-lamps, from basins to bowls - and in various states of conservation. The study of such a vast material only through photographic documentation raises some difficulties of course, but it still testifies to the richness of metalwork-production in the area. The great majority of objects are in bronze and they seem to belong to a period from the 10th up to the early 13th century, thus including the golden age of Ghazni. It is clear that these objects were created to satisfy the refined taste of the royal dynasties and wealthy people who ruled Ghazni.
This collection represents a starting point from which to resume the research from a new angle: In fact the Islamic metalwork from Afghanistan has never been considered as a unified corpus so far. With the exception of a few pieces, almost all finds remain still unpublished.
The study of Afghan metalwork is still in its early stages, but such a rich body of material gives the opportunity to examine in depth an Islamic metalwork production from the eastern territories, in the context and in comparison with the more renowned Iranian production.
While observing these objects next to their Iranian equivalents, the strongest sensation is that of continuity: continuity in shapes, in the decorative themes, and in the epigraphic inscriptions. They share an evolutionary path within the regional area, but also show a significant preservation of ancient pre-Islamic Iranian models. Furthermore some interesting influences from Indian and Buddhist cultural heritage are also present.