The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of August 10, 2026

A glass vessel features a wide, flared rim and rounded, bulbous body, heavily decorated with enamel and gilding. Circular medallions containing multi-pointed stars are spaced around the body and inner rim, separated by flowing white and gold foliate patterns. Narrow bands of repetitive blue and gold scrolls encircle the neck and base. The dense ornamentation is rendered in a vibrant palette of blue, red, and gold.

Ceremonial Spittoon or Basin

late 1800s

Europe

glass with enameled and gilded decoration
Diameter: 31.8 cm (12 1/2 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1944.235
Location: 116 Islamic

Did You Know?

The intense enamel colors form striking star and leaf patterns.

Description

This basin, as with the mosque lamp CMA 1981.10, is representative of reproductions of Mamluk glass that were prominent in the late 1800s in Europe during a period of resurgence of interest in Islamic art. At this time, collectors and artists revived the techniques of enameling and gilding that are hallmarks of Mamluk glass.
  • J. P. Morgan [1837–1913], New York, NY
    ?–1944
    (Heeramaneck Galleries, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1944–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • "Part II. Annual Report Issue for the Year 1944." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 32, no. 6 (1945): 103-30. Mentioned: p. 107 www.jstor.org
    Hollis, Howard. "Two Examples of Arabic Enameled Glass." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 32, no. 10 (December 1945): 179–181. Reproduced: p. 178; Mentioned: p. 180 www.jstor.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 716 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 210 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 210 archive.org
    Jones, Dalu and George Michell. The Arts of Islam: Hayward Gallery, 8 April-4 July 1976. London: Arts Council of Great Britain, 1976. cat. no. 143, p. 146
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 266 archive.org
    Atıl, Esin. Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981. Reproduced: cat. no. 51, p. 132
    Carboni, Stefano and David Whitehouse. Glass of the Sultans. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art; Corning: Corning Museum of Glass; Athens: Benaki Museum; New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 135, pp. 272–273 libmma.contentdm.oclc.org
  • Art of the Islamic World (Islamic art rotation). The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (May 21, 2021-May 31, 2022).
    Glass of the Sultans. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY (May 24-September 3, 2001); The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY (organizer) (October 2, 2001-January 13, 2002); Benaki Museum, Athens, Greece (February 20-May 15, 2002).
    Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks. The Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (May 14-July 19, 1981); The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, MN (August 15-October 11, 1981); Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY (November 7, 1981-January 3, 1982); Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, OH (February 6-April 4, 1982); The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI (April 24-June 20, 1982); Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ (January 8, 1983-March 6, 1983); Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT (April 2-May 29, 1983).
    The Arts of Islam. Hayward Gallery, London, UK (April 8-July 4, 1976).
    Art: The International Language. The Cleveland Museum of Art (October 2-November 4, 1956).
    Islamic Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 3, 1944-February 2, 1945).
  • {{cite web|title=Ceremonial Spittoon or Basin|url=false|author=|year=late 1800s|access-date=10 August 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1944.235