Niello Silver Tobacco Boxes
Aysar Akrawi, Collector of Handcrafted Niello Silver,
July 2024
My entire life has been about tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Rooted in family history and nurtured through family ties, my childhood fascination with cultural heritage developed into a vocation as an adult, including a 22-year run as executive director of the Petra National Trust, Jordan’s oldest national organization for cultural heritage preservation. It focuses on preserving the values and significance of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra. I was delighted, therefore, when Nadia Tobia, director and founder of FEEFAA.org, invited me to add part of my collection of Iraqi “nielloware” to the FEEFAA website. What follows is the story about how the collection came into being, along with my double connection to Nadia through our family and a mutual love and respect for cultural heritage.
From Family Heritage to Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage
Long ago, after many years of migration through the Caucasus and Iran, my ancestors settled in the village of Aqra in Kurdistan, hence the family name Akrawi. My ancestors lived in Aqra for over three centuries, when my grandfather, Yousef Akrawi, decided in the late nineteenth century to move to nearby Mosul, where he set up a business. He had five children, four boys and a girl. One of the boys, Fathullah, was my father. Another of the boys was my Uncle Ibrahim, who was also Nadia’s grandfather through his daughter, Afifa. Afifa was a high school geography teacher at Al Sharqiya High School for Girls, who had great interest in Iraqi cultural heritage, art and goldsmith crafts.
Now for my parents, Fathullah and Nazha Akrawi: Back in the early 1940s, parents did not know the sex, much less the number of babies to be expected with any given pregnancy. My parents had prepared only for one name. If it were to be a girl, she would be named Layla. When Layla arrived—lo and behold, and much to the surprise of all—the attending gynecologist announced that there was another baby coming. That was me. A kerfuffle ensued over the name and was only stopped when the attending doctor, Professor Dr. Ihsan Dogramaci suggested that my parents use his wife’s name, Aysar.
My mother noticed my early interest in Iraqi crafts and cultural heritage. Fridays were always picnics at archaeological sites picking up shards of brightly glazed ceramic pots and beads on the surface of the mounds that the foreigners, like the Iraqis, called “tells”. And, yes, picking up these objects is a definite no-no, but only the archaeologists knew that at the time!!!
I developed my interest in the centuries-old niello skills and culture of the Sabaeans/Mandaeans. At about the age of eighteen, I started my collection of their silver. The photos shown on the website are the cigarette boxes, cigarette holders, opium holders, and narghile pipes that are part of my collection.
Napkin Ring, Iraq, 20th century, 19430s. Sabaeans/Mandaean. Artist Unknown.
Eye-Liner (kohul) Container, Iraq. 20th century,1940s. Sabaeans/Mandaeans. Artist A'mara Fadhel.
On weekdays, like Nadia and her mum, my mother and I went to Al Nahir Street (the River Street), where I developed my interest in the centuries-old niello skills and culture of the Sabaeans/Mandaeans. They did their magic with the ancient techniques of soldering, engraving, and making the black metallic alloy, niello, used to fill designs engraved on the surface of objects made of high-quality silver. Very popular at the time were tobacco and cigarette boxes, trays, frames, napkin rings, service plates, cutlery, snake bangles, and coffee pots. The designs represented nature and the environment in which they lived: Amarah, Basra, the Marshes, and, later, Baghdad. At about the age of eighteen, I started my collection of their silver. The photos shown on the website are the cigarette boxes, cigarette holders, opium holders, and narghile pipes that are part of my collection.
After many grueling years for me — and those around me — throughout my formal education, I graduated with a BA in history and political science from the Lebanon American University. I worked for a short period of time in Iraq, until my husband and I decided to move to Jordan in 1974 with our newborn daughter, Zain. Jordan became our home away from home for 42 years.
I’m grateful to my family and feel fortunate that a good deal of my career was directly involved with maintaining and promoting cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible. Although I’m now retired and residing in the US near my daughter and her family, my engagement with matters of cultural heritage continues to be a core part of my life. It also means a great deal that there is broader interest and a website like FEEFAA.org to keep this heritage alive.
Niello Silver
One of the best references on the subject of niello silver is Mohammed Al Baghdadi’s book; – History of Iraqi Silver – Its major craftsmen and their work – published in 2017. It captures the history and culture behind Iraqi silver and includes beautiful photography of remarkable pieces.
“The majority of silver craftsmen in Iraq in the past two centuries were Jews, Sabaeans Mandaeans, and some Muslim and Christian artisans in Basra, Amarah, Nasiriyah, Karbala, Baghdad, Diyala, Kirkuk, Mosul, and Kurdistan (Aqra, Dahouk, and Quisinjiq).” (1)
The majority of the collection in this article is made by the Sabaeans Mandaeans, below are excerpts from Al Baghdadi book about the Sabaeans Mandaeans and the niello silver.
History of Iraqi Silver - Book cover
History of Iraqi Silver - Book cover.
About the Mandaeans
“Mandaeans are the only community in Iraq of which most members work in gold and silver craftsmanship, even those with higher education and in different sciences, and which are still holding and maintaining their existence despite the many harsh ordeals and crises that fell upon the homeland.” (1)
“Mandaeans are an ethno-religious community originating from southern Iraq, practicing an ancient Gnostic religion that reveres John the Baptist (the prophet Yahya) that is known to them as Yahya Yohanah. It is most likely that Mandaeans originally descend from Harran (upper Mesopotamia) and migrated south to reside in river valleys in south of Iraq, especially in Amarah, Basra and Nasiriyah, near the Iraqi, Irani border in Mandalia, or in Ahvaz, Khorramshahr and Dezful in Iran. Most of them moved to Baghdad and other large cities to earn a living. Mandaeans homes tend to be in proximity to rivers and streams due to the frequent ritual use of running water (for baptism and ritual purifications). The Mandaeans speak Arabic but were originally native speaker of Mandiac a semitic language that is similar to Syriac with a mix of Arabic and Persian words.” (1)
Mandaeans Silver Crafting
“Over the past two centuries, Mandaeans silver crafting was done through remelting old silver pieces, determining the purity, then manually hammering and preparing the silver to be reformed as desired. The material was sent to one who is known as the Assembler or Shaping Master, who hammered and shaped the metal using hammers and anvils of different shapes and sizes. However, if the shop owner himself was a professional, he would perform all these steps from acquiring the silver to the melting and re-working, as was the case for most Mandaeans silversmiths.” (1)
“The next step after creating the desired piece was sending it to a skillful cleaner to erase hammering marks of the shaping process, where he used files of different sizes then sandpaper starting from coarse to fine paper to polish the piece. Next the piece was handed to the engraver, who planned and marked the desired pattern using a pencil or started directly if he was skillful enough, and he engraved with his iron graver that is usually made by himself, using different shapes and grain sizes. If the piece on which the work was being done was to have enamel inlay / niello, then the cuts would be a time and a half deeper than the piece without inlays to make space for the enamel to get in and sit in the cuts.” (1)
“The niello (black enamel) up to the end of the twentieth century had been had made from a mix of silver, lead and sulfur in specific proportions that got melted and cooled down then crushed using pestle and mortar to create a fine powder ready to be placed over the engraving. The niello inlayer was responsible for cleaning the engraved piece and sprinkling the black (sometimes blush) powder on the engravings.” (1)
“Then the piece would be firmly positioned on sand and soft pebbles for support and then blazed with fire to melt the powder (it is a quickly accomplished due to the lead in the niello’s composition). The piece was then cooled after being covered from all sides, if it had multiple enameled sides (for which it would have been considered a difficult piece due to the need to flip over multiple times), and the process was not done until the whole piece was properly saturated with enamel. Finally, a skilled cleaner would start cleaning the piece starting his coarsest file down to the finest. Then he will clean the whole surface area accurately to not affect the engraved lines. The piece would then be polished with sandpaper using coarse grit and gradually using the finest paper. Finally, he would rub that piece with his hands until it feels like the surface of a mirror, and polishing agent would be applied with a cloth until it looks like a real mirror.” (1)
Mendaeans Master Craftsmen
“Most of these master craftsmen, God bless them, used to perform all these processes singlehandedly to ensure the highest level of accuracy, aiming at reflecting their imagination and creativity through such crafted pieces.” (1)
“The most famous of their craftsmen is Mulla Khidir, who along with his son Zahroon, carried the secrets of enamel crafting from the Caucasus to his peers in Iraq in the mid nineteenth century. His son Zahroon Mulla Khadir also excelled in his unique work during the quarter of the nineteenth and the first quarter of the twentieth century all over Caucasus, Turkey, Iran and Iraq.”(1).
Today, Hamid Royed stands out as one of the distinguished artists specializing in Niello silverwork. His work is celebrated for its precision and creativity, making him a prominent figure in this traditional craft. Hamid’s expertise spans both the technical and artistic aspects of niello, and his pieces are highly regarded for their detailed craftsmanship. Interestingly, Hamid is also a family relative of Zahroon Mulla Khadir.
Niello silver work by Hamid Royed, 2017.
Aysar’s Collection
The tobacco collection of Aysar Akrawi comprises of approximately 30 cigarette boxes and 50 pieces of tobacco accessories, such as cigarette holders (Imzek), opium holders, and narghile pipes, gathered over the years during her time in Iraq and Jordan. Most of the pieces originated in Iraq, created by the Sabaeans/Mandaeans, and are primarily crafted in silver niello work. A few of the boxes featured in this article from Aysar’s collection are from Turkey and Persia, with a couple of unknown origins.
Each piece is categorized by the collection ID number, followed by its place of origin, date, artist, and a brief description.
cigarette holders, opium holders, and narghile pipes
Niello decorations on cigarette boxes showcase a diverse array of designs, often featuring floral patterns, famous buildings, river scenes with boats, tughra and flags, as well as camels, palm trees, and livestock. Custom-ordered boxes might include maps, ships, and the names of the owners. Almost all boxes have decorative boundaries, which can range from simple parallel niello lines to elaborate floral borders and chequered surroundings.
The signature of the silversmith or artist is important and adds value to the piece. It is usually located on the back, front, or inside of the box. However, some boxes are unsigned or have unreadable signatures. Sometimes, dates and the names of the city or country where the pieces were crafted are also included.
Flags
Floral
Chequers
River scienary / boats
Tughra
Horses
Buildings
Tobacco Boxes
Iraq
(01-AA9A+9B), Tobacco box, Iraq, 20th century, 1925. Sabaeans/Mandaeans. Signed by Abid Nasiriyah. Elaborate floral and birds designs on all four sides.
(02-AA10A+10B), Tobacco box, Iraq, 20th century, 1910. Sabaeans/Mandaeans. Signed Abid Nasiriyah. The front of the box showcases a central circle adorned with the Coat of Arms and the Ottoman ‘Tughra.’ Below this central motif, there are two flags, swords, scales, axes, and other decorative elements. The surrounding design includes a chequered pattern and a floral border. On the back of the box, another central circle. depicts two horse riders, with the artist inscription surrounded by a chequered pattern and floral border.
(03-AA17A+17B) Tobacco box, Iraq. 20th century, 1344 H (1929). Sabaeans/Mandaeans. Signed Farhan Nasiriyah Silversmith, Owner Mr. Abdul Rahaman. On the front of the box, a crescent and a five-sided star take center stage, encircled by a delicate floral motif. Turning to the back, a central floral design features the silversmith’s name, the owner’s identity, and the year of creation. This intricate composition is further enhanced by a checkered pattern and four flowers positioned at each corner.
(04-AA19A+19B), Tobacco box, Iraq. 20th Century, 1900. Sabaeans/Mandaeans. Unsigned. On the front of the box, an elaborate Coat of Arms with the ‘Tughra’ (stylized royal seal and signature) takes center stage, surrounded by intricate geometric patterns. Turning to the back, a central floral design features an empty circle at its core, encircled by delicate floral boundaries and chequred corners.
(05-AA13A+13B), Tobacco box, Iraq. 20th century, 1940. Sabaeans/Mandaeans. Signed A’mel Salem (work of Salem). This tobacco box features distinct designs on its front and back. On the front, three oval-shaped frames depict scenes from Iraq, surrounded by delicate floral patterns. The back of the box displays a historical map of the Middle East before 1948, showing Transjordan (now Jordan) and pre-Israel Palestine, along with pipelines and rivers.
(06-AA14A+14B), Tobacco box, Iraq. 20th century, 1930. Sabaeans/Mandaeans. Unsigned. The front face of the box features palm trees, a mosque, and two birds perched on a shrub. It is encircled by a wall with arches. Below this scene, there is a square containing talisman boxes, each marked with a black dot. The entire box is framed by engraved niello lines. On the back, you’ll find a depiction of a boat on water, along with a palm tree and a bird. Additional shrubs adorn the left side, and below the water, a chequered design adds further detail.
(07-AA11A+11B), Tobacco box, Iraq. 20th century, 1920. Sabaeans/Mandaeans. Signed Farhan Nasiriyah. The front of the box features an image of the Arch of Ctesiphon (The arched iwan hall was part of the imperial palace complex, built during the Sassanian period) and the name of the owner—an Englishman named E. RODD. This box was created during the period of the British Mandate of Iraq. At the top left corner, a finger points toward the owner’s name, flanked by two birds. On the back, a central vase holds floating flowers, surrounded by a chequered border adorned with floral motifs at the corners.
(08-AA07A+07B), Tobacco box, Iraq. 20th century. 1930. Sabaeans/Mandaeans. Unsigned. This cigarette box depicts King Faisal I of Iraq riding on a camel. His name is engraved in Arabic on the top, and below it, the dates of his reign (1921-1933) are inscribed. On the back of the box, a sail boat along the Shatt Al-Arab, with several people on board. In the distance, an island with a palm tree completes the scene.
Left (09-AA18) Tobacco box. Iraq 20th century, 1950s. Sabaeans/Mandaeans. Unsigned. A marsh scene with mosques, minaret, ‘mudhif ‘ (reed structure serves as a gathering place where people are received by the governor and other officials), and reed houses. One of the box sides has a camel and its rider, three palm trees and shrubs. The front side has a boat in water. The third side is of a reed house, palm trees and shrubs.
Right (10-AA21) Snuff box. Iraq. 20th century, 1950s. Sabaeans/Mandaeans. Unsigned. The face of the snuff box (known as برنوطي or زعوط) features a triangular frame adorned with floral designs, along with depictions of a boat, a mosque, and palm trees. Each of the four sides of the box showcases a different scene: One side depicts water with ‘muthif’ structures. Another side shows water with a mosque, ‘mudhif,’ (reed structure serves as a gathering place where people are received by the governor and other officials), and three sheep. The third side features a boat a ‘guffa,’ (circular boat used for cargo and passengers transportation in rivers) and palm trees. The fourth side displays a boat with their sailors. The back of the box remains plain.
Left (11-AA03) Tobacco box, Iraq. 20th century, 1970. Sabaeans/Mandaeans. Signed Yaser Saqar and brothers, Baghdad. The box front, is framed by four triangular shapes at each corner. In the lower part, a scene depicts two date palms alongside a camel. Above them, is an island with palm trees standing alongside the Lion of Babylon, and a ‘mudhif ‘ (reed structure serves as a gathering place where people are received by the governor and other officials).
Right (12-AA08) Tobacco box, Iraq. 20th century, 1937-04-25. Sabaeans/Mandaeans. Unsigned. The front of the box features a central scene with mosques, minarets, and a palm tree. This scene is framed by floral designs on all four sides, interspersed with geometric patterns. As for the back of the box, it remains plain.
(13-AA20A+20B), Tobacco box, Iraq. 20th century. 1930. Sabaeans/Mandaeans. Artist Umara Faraj. The front of the box features a central Agate stone, encircled by a delicate floral design. On the back of the box, there are depictions of three mosque domes and a minaret situated on an island within the marshes.
(14-AA41A+41B), Tobacco Razor box, Iraq. 20th century. 1940. Sabaeans/Mandaeans. Unsigned. The front of the razer box, features intricate floral motifs and leaves, while the upper part—the box cover—presents a scene with two mosques domes and a minaret rising from marshy surroundings. The back mirrors the floral design, and the top cover of the back showcases a boat.
(15-AA39A+39B), Tobacco box, Iraq. 20th century. Unsigned. This is a cigarette box elaborately designed and engraved on all sides. It opens from the centre. It is made by Jewish silversmith and the niello application by Sabaeans/Mandaens.
Left and Middle (16-AA39C+39D) Tobacco box, Iraq, 20th century, 1940. Unsigned. This is a cigarette box elaborately designed and engraved on all sides. It opens from the centre. It is made by Jewish silversmiths. The box is engraved without niello application.
Right (17-AA53) Match box. Iraq, 20th century, 1930. Unsigned. Match box made by Jewish silversmith. The box is engraved without niello application.
Türkiye
(18-AA23A+23B) Tobacco box. Türkiye – Ottoman Empire. Late18th century. Signed but difficult to read. The front of the box features a central circle adorned with the Ottoman ‘Tughra’ (stylized seal and signature), surrounded by a chequered pattern. On the back, a central empty space is framed by a floral designs.
(19-AA24A+24B), Tobacco box, Türkiye – Ottoman Empire. Late 18th century. Signature inside box where the city of Van (وان) is engraved. The name of the artist is engraved inside, but unreadable. This ornate tobacco box features the Ottoman ‘Tughra’ (stylized royal seal and signature) embedded within a star shape alongside a coat of arms. Surrounding the Tughra, intricate floral designs. Additionally, all four sides of the box exhibit a consistent chequered pattern.
(20-AA26A+26B), Tobacco box, Türkiye – Ottoman Empire, 20th century, Early 1900s. Signed Van, Artist unknown. Ornate floral design covering the entire front and back.
(21-AA31A+31B), Tobacco box, Türkiye – Ottoman Empire. 19th century, 1890. Unsigned. The front centre of the box features a coat of arms adorned with the Ottoman ‘tughra’—a stylized royal seal and signature. Surrounding the tughra, a design of four dots arranged in a square pattern. Each corner of the box showcases a semi-circle adorned with intricate floral motifs. On the back, a central circular empty space is surrounded by flowers. Additionally, all four sides of the box exhibit a consistent pattern of semi-circles and dots arranged in square shapes.
(22-AA28A+28B), Tobacco box, Türkiye – Ottoman Empire. Artist Izat. The face of box is yellow agate. The four sides are of similar design; The front of the box has the artist’s name Izat surrounded by floral pattern.
(23-AA27) Tobacco box. Türkiye – Ottoman Empire, 19 the century, 1883. Unsigned. Silver box engraved without niello filling.
Iran
(24-AA22A+22B), Tobacco box, Iran, Isfahan, 20th century, 1950s. Unsigned Iranian mina cigarette box. The front of the box features a blue and white border adorned with waved line and delicate dots. At its centre, a scene unfolds a mosque surrounded by trees. This picturesque tableau is framed by an elegant black and white border, embellished with vibrant green, red, and black flowers. Turning to the back, we find an ornate center adorned with floral motifs and birds. Floral designs grace all four sides. Inside the box, a hidden bouquet of flowers and leaves.
Left (25-AA34), Pill box, Iran, 20th Century. 1920. Unsigned. An oval pill box with an agate top and bottom with niello designs all around.
Caucasus Region
(26-AA32A+32B), Snuff box (برنوطي – زعوط). Azerbaijan. 19th century. 1890. Unsigned. The front of the box features a central gold gilt flower surrounded by silver foliage, all set against a black niello background. A zigzag silver design is embedded into the border. On the backside, a gold gilt floral circle ia at the centre, encircled by delicate floral motifs. The edge of the box has a border with an engraved niello zigzag pattern.
(27-AA06A+06B), Tobacco box, Caucasus. Late 18th century. Unsigned. In the center of the front of the box, a framed scene depicts three horses and a rider pulling a carriage. The surrounding border features various geometric designs, including two chequered-like patterns. On the back of the box, a central piece showcases two sizes of chequered designs. Encircling this center, parallel lines form a decorative motif, with an empty space intended for a signature. Floral elements adorn all four corners.
Acknowledgment
Thank you to Ghadeer Khayyat for her unwavering support over the past 20 years in research, data collection, and organization.
Bibliography
(1) Mohammed S. J. Al Baghdadi “History of Iraqi Silver. Its major craftsmen and their work”, 2017.
Notes
All items illustrated in this article are from the “Aysar Akrawi Private Collection” unless indicated. Copyright reserved.
About Aysar Akrawi,
Aysar is now retired, but her engagement with matters of cultural heritage continues to be a core part of her life. Prior to her role as Executive Director at Petra National Trust, she held several positions in Amman, Jordan, including Managing Director for Administration and Airport Services at Arab Wings Executive Jet Services, Director at Queen Noor Civil Aviation Training College, and Project Director for the Marfaq Project (a joint initiative by USAID, Catholic Relief Services, and Jordan’s Ministry of Social Development to establish small income-generating businesses for rural women). She also authored an English-language guidebook on Jordan and Syria, commissioned by the Touring Club Italiano.