Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine Influence in the Consolidation of Fatimid Metalware

Until recently, the availability of early Islamic metal vessels was limited to individual pieces in museums and private collections, and the scholarship was always generalized, with very limited information in regard to typology.¹ Metal articles from the early centuries of Islam within the Syrian-Egyptian region are even less common, as Iran and Central Asia attracted the greater portion of attention from researchers.² The Fatimid dynasty³ is famous for its decorative arts, which have stimulated considerable scholarly interest, and several publications have been dedicated to the subject.⁴ Studies of Fatimid metalware, however, were based upon a small number of vessels from