Cylindrical with faceted flaring neck, carved around the middle with a frieze of wing palmettes, above and below a horizontal raised rib.4.7 cm. heightR.H. Pinder Wilson writes: ‘Rock crystals together with woven silks were the first objects to reach Europe and to reveal to the West the artistic achievements of the Islamic world. It is, therefore, surprising that Islamic rock crystals have been the subject of systematic study only since 1912 when Robert Schmidt published 83 crystals. Since then, thanks to C.J. Lamm and Kurt Erdmann, the total number of known Islamic rock crystals stands at just under 180.’ (B.W. Robinson et al., Islamic Art in the Keir Collection, London, 1988, p. 289). Since then, a small number of Islamic rock crystal items have appeared on the art market, bringing the total to approximately 200.This bottle is carved in the bevel technique, without striations, suggesting a date of production in the earlier Fatimid period.