This finely wrought basin inlaid with gold and silver echoes a set of metal artefacts produced in the Syro-Egyptian world at the beginning of the Mamluk period. A sign of good fortune, the fish motif on the inside indicates that it was used for ablutions. Under the lip, two small inscriptions give the name of the patron, Ahmad ibn al-Jundi al-Tarrab (?), an officer in the army of Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qala’un (1294–1341, with interruptions). On the sides, the elegant inscription in thuluth style, a greeting addressed to the owner, is punctuated by four medallions, two of which contain radiant inscriptions, while the other two feature stylised lotus flowers. This flower from China was to become one of the most frequently adopted motifs in Islamic art from the 13th century onwards. During the Mamluk period, it took on a stylised form and became, as here, a motif independent of the aquatic plant from which the flower stems.