In the 9th century, hordes of nomadic Turkic horseman living on the outskirts of the Muslim world began to migrate westward into the heart of Central Asia. By the 10 century, a branch known as the House of Seljuk had broken off from the Oghuz confederation of Turkomen tribesmen, arrived into mainland Persia, and settled in the province of Khurasan. Overtime, the Seljuks converted to Islam and began to adopt the Persian language and culture. In the 11th century, the Seljuks set up an independent state under their leader Tugrul Bey with its capital in Isfahan, initially under the auspices of the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad. The arts thrived during the Seljuk period as the Turkic rulers patronized Persian culture, arts, and literature.


Round bronze tray inlaid with copper. It has a flat base and a raised everted flat rim. On the rim is incised a Kufic inscription in six panels interrupted by round medallions with floral motifs. Inside, in the centre is al-Buraq, a heavenly creature that carried the prophet traditionally represented as a winged horse with the head of a woman, surrounded by a copper inlaid circle.