History and context of Iranian Bowls

In order to fully appreciate the art and history behind my chosen object, I wanted to fully research the context of the history of Persian pottery. My research led me down a rabbit hole, of which I have tried to summarise the main findings below. I found it fascinating to see how such an art form has evolved over time and it has given me a new appreciation for the medium. 

"The taste and talent of this people can be seen through the designs of their earthen wares", R. Ghirshman

History/Overview: 

• The history pottery in Iran goes back to ancient times when clay was baked in order to meet the agricultural needs of the people 
• Iranian pottery (gombroon) has continued to develop to present day 
• One of the oldest Persian art forms Tappeh, dates back to 5BC and has been unearthed from several burial mounds. 
• Due to Irans geographical position, almost all parts of the country were involved in pottery making. However, recent archaeological research has revealed the four major pottery manufacturing areas. These included the western part of the country, namely the area west of the Zagros mountains (Lurestan), and the area south of the Caspian Sea (Gilan and Mazandaran provinces). 
• These two areas are thought to be the earliest. The third region is in the northwestern part of the country, in Azarbaijan province. The fourth area is in the southeast, i.e. the Kerman region and Baluchestan. 
• Some also cite the Kavir area, where the history of pottery making can be dated back to the 8th millennium BCE.
• Over time, simple pottery began to be decorated, often with geometric designs. These were skilful, following rules and give Iran the name of birthplace of earthenware pottery.
• The earliest pottery extant is supposed to be a metallic lustre ware, but over time potters developed new forms and styles to produce specific genres of ceramic
• The most refined wares were destined for stately homes of the wealthy or to export. This meant that a lot of money flowed into the industry.

For the purpose of my research, I then went on to go and focus on the Middle Islamic Period which ran from the 11th-15th century CE.

Seljuq Dynasty (1037–1194)

At the advent of the 11th century CE the Seljuqs settled in Iran and brought the country together under one rule. Whilst this union didn't last more than one and a half centuries, it did produce great quantities of literature, philosophy, in architecture and in all fields of the Iranian arts, progressing their form and nature greatly. The Seljuqs were great supporters of the arts themselves, and their investment and patronage helped revive pre-Islamic traditions and develop new techniques (especially in metalwork and pottery).

Specifically looking at pottery, the most important introduction was that of the new white frit material, of which my bowl is made from. This new base made the application of alkaline glazes easier and allowed for more finessed work, with considerably thinner shapes than previous. Potters greatly admired the Chinese Song porcelain and their influence can clearly be seen in this new work.

The main cities of Iranian pottery production were Ray, Kashan, Jorjan, and Nishapur.

The main types of pottery being produced were:  

• white wares, 
• monochrome glazed wares, 
• carved or laqabi wares, 
• lustre-painted wares, 
• underglaze-painted wares, and 
• overglaze-painted, so-called minai and lajvardina wares. 

It must also be noted that unglazed wares were also made and refined during this time.

The Seljuqs were usurped by the Khwarizmshahian Dynasty in the second half of the 12th century but trends of creativity continued up until the Mongol Invasion. 

Timurid Pottery (1370-1502 CE)

In 1393 CE a new invasion threatened Iran from Timur, who came with a large army and destroyed many of the main cities including Jorjan, Esfahan, Shiraz and Kerman. Timur took many of the best artists with him to Samarkand, and thus established it as a centre for Persian arts - particularly for architecture and architectural decoration. When Shah Rukh (1404-1447 CE) took reign, the arts were elevated to a new level, as a calligrapher himself.

Persian miniature painting flourished; beautiful religious building were erected all over the Timurid realm. : Architectural decoration becomes important at which time the most beautiful and elaborate faience mosaic decoration was made. It is perhaps sufficient to mention the shrine complex, the Shah-e Zendeh in Samarkand, or the Gur-e Amir, Timur's mausoleum, the Madrasah of Gauhar Shah in Herat and Mashhad, or perhaps the most famous and best known, Majid-e Kabud (the Blue Mosque) in Tabriz.

Whilst there has been little investigation into the Persian pottery of the period, it appears that the same types have been produced all over, as with the Mongols. 'Kubachi' wares seem to have become more mainstream though, painted in black under blue or turquoise glaze - the same colours that appear on my bowl. As also with my bowl, the decoration consisted of mainly floral designs and geometric forms. Interestingly, two examples that have been found had 15th CE dates inscribed, thus were definitely Timurid. The name Kubachi originates as the name of a small village in Daghestan in the Caucasus as it was there that this pottery was first found, in the houses of peasants. However, it is believed that the people of Kubachi were metalworkers instead, which they tended to trade for this type of pottery and it is now surmised that in fact 'Kubachi' wares were produced in the northwestern part of Iran (Tabriz).