BRASS – An alloy of copper and zinc, brass has been used in a broad range of arts and crafts in Near East given the relatively high availability of zinc in the region (including Anatolia, Iran, and Afghanistan). High-zinc brass was used to produce cold-worked objects, while high-lead brass was used for casting. Brass was very popular in the Near East due to its golden appearance, but its high copper content prevented it from being used as everyday tableware. Initially brass was used to create costly decorative objects; the use of brass inlaid with silver, gold, or copper peaked in Egypt’s Mamluk period (1250–1517). In later periods, brass became an everyday material used to produce various types of ware which were often decorated with repoussé and chasing, engraving, or openwork. Silver- and copper-inlaid brass made a comeback in the nineteenth century together with renewed interest in older work from many Near Eastern countries. (JMl)