page_title: History of metallurgy in Mosul
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: History of metallurgy in Mosul / Background
caption_attribution_description: English: In a notable artistic innovation, medieval Islamic artisans used precious metals- gold, silver, and copper- to decorate bronze and brass objects. The richly decorated surface of this ewer features multiple bands of Arabic inscriptions and scalloped medallions enclosing musicians, enthroned figures, hunters, and other scenes characteristic of medieval Islamic art. The presence of the artist's signature here is noteworthy since the medieval Islamic artisan generally remained anonymous. Yunus ibn Yusuf styles himself al-naqqash, or decorator, probably signifying that he was responsible for executing the inlaid designs. He also ends his name al-Mawsili, meaning "from Mosul," a famous metalworking center in northern Iraq. However, Yunus ibn Yusuf could just as easily have been working in Syria, where metal workshops produced similar inlaid vessels during the 13th century.
context_page_description: During the thirteenth century, Mosul, Iraq became home to a school of luxury metalwork which rose to international renown. Artifacts classified as Mosul are some of the most intricately designed and revered pieces of the Middle Ages.
context_section_description: The school of metalwork in Mosul is believed to have been founded in the early 13th century under Zengid patronage. During this time, the Zengid region was operating as a vassal under the Ayyubid Sultanate. Control over Mosul as a city central to trade between China, the Mediterranean, Anatolia, and Mesopotamia was contested between the Zengids and the Ayyubid sultan, Saladin, throughout the early acquisitions of the Ayyubid Sultanate in Syria and Iraq after the decline of Fatimid rule. However, the Zengids remained in Mosul and were allowed some degree of authority under the Sultanate. 
  Around 1256, the Mongol occupation of Iraq began, and the region became a part of the Ilkhanate. Of the artifacts agreed to be "nabish al-Mawsili" (of Mosul), approximately 80% were produced after the commencement of Mongol rule in Mosul.  However, it is unclear as to whether or not all of these artifacts were produced within Mosul and later exported as esteemed gifts, or created elsewhere by Mosulian artisans who relocated but maintained the "al-Mawsili" signature.
caption: Mosul Ewer
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