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Mamluk / Ottoman Islamic Inscribed Bronze Barrel Weight (29.45g — c. 15th–18th Century AD)
Authenticity & Guarantee
Certification: Certified Authentic — includes signed Certificate of Authenticity (COA) with full provenance documentation.
Provenance: Ex-private European collection, legally acquired from international sales; Islamic Levantine / Ottoman Sphere.
Item Specifications & Exact Dimensions
Object: Cast Bronze / Brass Knobbed Barrel Commercial Weight (Wazn)
Culture / Period: Mamluk to Ottoman Empire Era (Bilad al-Sham / Levantine Realm)
Date Range: Circa 15th Century AD – 18th Century AD (c. 1400 – 1750 AD)
Mass / Exact Weight: 29.45 grams (calibrated to the 10-Dirham / Damascus Trade Standard)
Material: Heavy Cast Bronze / Brass (Copper Alloy)
Form & Architecture: Classic knobbed barrel / piston profile with rounded upper finial and flared pedestal base; body displays a deeply struck oval cartouche containing a raised Arabic script inscription; secondary lightly incised tally marks visible on the reverse side; dense metrological core
Condition: Exceptional, complete ancient/historical condition. Full profile, crisp legible Arabic cartouche stamp, preserved under a smooth dark charcoal-olive patina with pale sandy burial encrustations highlighting the calligraphic strokes. Free of modern restoration or tooling.
READING THE ARABIC INSCRIPTION & HISTORICAL LORE
Epigraphic Translation & Reading
The oval cartouche stamped on the central barrel face is written in raised Arabic cursive script (Naskh / Thuluth style):
Top Word: شام (Shām) — Refers directly to Bilad al-Sham (Damascus / Greater Syria).
Lower Word: وزن (Wazn) or توزين (Tawzīn) — Meaning \"Weight\" or \"Verified / Calibrated Weight\".
Full Epigraphic Reading: وزن شام (Wazn Shām — \"Damascus Weight Standard\").
Metrological Standard (29.45g = 10 Dirhams)
In Mamluk and Ottoman Levantine commerce, the commercial Dirham (Dirham Shami) averaged approximately 2.95g to 3.0g. At 29.45 grams, this piece is a calibrated 10-Dirham weight (\'Asharat Darāhim).
The Knobbed Barrel Weight Typology
Knobbed barrel weights were official trade standards across Ottoman market places (souks). The distinct rounded top finial allowed market inspectors (Muhtasib) and merchants to easily lift the weight off balance scales using brass tweezers or fingers. Stamping the weight with the official regional mint/city seal (Shām) verified that it complied with imperial tax and commercial regulations.
Typological Analysis & Exact Classification
Primary Class: Islamic Metrology / Mamluk-Ottoman Trade Weight
Sub-Class: Inscribed Knobbed Barrel Weight (Wazn Shām 10-Dirham Class)
Manufacturing Technique: Cast copper alloy barrel with hot-stamped official treasury cartouche.
Comparable Archaeological Examples & Museum Accession Numbers
David Collection (Copenhagen, Inv. No. 42/1995): Ottoman Levantine bronze barrel weight inscribed with regional treasury marks.
British Museum (Accession No. 1980,1202.52): Islamic bronze knobbed scale weight inscribed with city name.
Ashmolean Museum (Oxford, Islamic Metrology Collection No. ISL.812): Ottoman 10-Dirham bronze weight from Syrian market contexts.
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