Refers to works produced in Venice by Muslims and by Italian craftsmen trained in the Islamic style; the primary example comprises a large group of 15th- and 16th-century metal wares, primarily in European collections, once attributed to Muslim artists working in Venice. Veneto-Saracenic wares are domestic in nature and include bowls, spherical incense burners, candlesticks, and salvers. They are made of brass or bronze and are inlaid with geometric or arabesque motifs in silver, with occasional traces of gold and frequent additions of a black compound. The term is sometimes loosely applied to objects decorated with figural ornament and Western coats of arms. In the 19th century Lavoix popularized the identification of these objects as Veneto-Saracenic but his theory that Muslim metalworkers worked in Venice and trained Italian craftsmen in the Islamic style was challenged in 1970, when Huth questioned whether guild laws would have allowed foreign craftsmen on Venetian territory. No documentary evidence has come to light to prove or disprove either idea and it is often difficult to distinguish between Islamic originals and Western copies. Auld has identified three sub-groups: Turkoman, Mamluk, and Western.
