Court and Craft: A Masterpiece from Northern Iraq – Courtauld Gallery

The Courtauld Gallery is home to a particularly fascinating exhibition at the moment: Court and Craft: A Masterpiece from Northern Iraq. It is based around one of the most incredible objects in the Gallery’s collection, which is a bag made in Iraq around 1300.

The beautiful and ornate bag has been ranked as “one of the finest pieces of Islamic metalwork in existence”. Decorated in gold and silver, and covered with a complex design of a courtly scene, it is believed to have been made for a lady connected with the Mongol Ilkhanid dynasty.

The bag has been placed in context with an exhibition of manuscripts, artworks and other items exploring the society of that place and time. I particularly loved the beautiful illustrated manuscripts.