AN OTTOMAN ARMENIAN TINNED COPPER EWER AND DISH
Ottoman Turkey, 18th century

Sheet metal dish resting on a disc foot and with wide rim engraved with stylized flowers alternating with plain cartouches. The ewer resting on a round high foot, the globular flatterned body with raised central disc, long hourglass neck terminating with an architectural domed, hinged, cover. Fitted with long curved spout and serpentine handle.
One side of the aftaba is engraved with an Armenian inscription reads: տուրկէր Սղամեկին ՌՃՀԷ (to the Turk Sghamekin) indicating that it was gifted to a Turkish patron by that name in the given date, ՌՃՀԷ year 1177 AM (1728  AD).
A second, longer and later, inscription reads: ի ժամանակս առաջնորդ Կարապետ վարդապետին, ի դուռն սուրբ Նշանի (in the time of the leader, the priest Karapet, at the door of the holy Nshan), ՌՄՀԲ year 1272 AM (1823 AD).
Surmounted by an Arabic signature reading 'Seyyed Khalil' likely preserving the name of the owner, as during the Ottoman period Muslim names were occasionally adopted by members of the Armenian community (Switzerland Armenia. The Kalfayan Collection. On the Path of Memory. Musée des Suisses dans le Monde, 2015, cat. 103).

Without further evidence, it is difficult to establish who Priest Karapet (a common name in the Armenian tradition and very little documentation is avaible on priests in such period) was, or the exact location of the Church of Holy Nshan, as this name is associated with more than one church.

Ewer 41cm high, dish 31cm diameter (2)