Lidded Box of Muhammad al-Hamawi, Timekeeper at the Umayyad Mosque, Damascus. Dimensions: H. 4 in. (10.2 cm)
W. 6 11/16 in. (17 cm)
D. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm). Date: 15th century.
Mamluk metalwork began to decline in quality by the late fourteenth century. Commissioned for the official responsible for supervising the call-to-prayer and announcing the beginning and end of Ramadan, this box probably served as a food container.