This bowl bears four-petal flowers with double interlaced Stars of David. It is inscribed with the date in Hebrew, “Damascus work, the year [5]665,” and with Arabic proverbs—“Whoever is patient attains,” “Deeds accord with intentions,” and “According to a person’s intentions, so is done unto him”—and a Hebrew Bible verse, “Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days” (Ecclesiastes 11:1).
In the Mideast, the Mamluk Revival style (1878– 1914) arose to satisfy the tastes of European collectors and tourists. In Damascus, Mamluk-style metal inlay was done primarily by Jews. Their workshops became a training ground for artists of the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts, founded in Jerusalem in 1906.