With the history of my object starting to become more uncovered, I thought now would be the time to look at some comparative pieces to contrast some similarities and differences between the pieces. Dating from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, these elaborately decorated bowls and jars were the latest of the long series of works of art which have come to the Fund for distributions to museums since 1909 form the collection of the late Henry Van den Bergh. The ceramics were presented by the Trustees of Mrs Elizabeth Roskill, Henry Van den Bergh's daughter, and given to the Museum of Oriental Art at the University of Durham. Built with the aid of a grant from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, and opened in 1960, the Museum is the only one in the country to be devoted exclusively to the arts and archaeology of the East.
Having attempted to educate myself on Persian pottery as a whole, I felt like my podcast would be improved by including some references and comparisons to some of the other pots that arrived in Durham through the same Henry Van den Bergh bequest. For this reason, I contacted both Rachel and the National Arts Fund to send me records of the transaction and any more information surrounding the goods.
Above is pictured the information surrounding all nine bequests, which is covered in deeper detail in my paths of the bowl post.
Bowl 1:
Creation date: 1100-1299; Seljuq-Ilkhan Dynasty
Description: Persian celligraphic bowl, enamel with 'Minai' work. Rounded sides decorated in red, green and blue on white ground, with two opposed equestrian figures separated by a tree with birds at the base and a Kufic inscription round the rim inside. It has calligraphic decoration on the outside as well.
Dimensions: diameter 220
Material: materials – inorganic material – clay – clay products – ceramic
Object number: DUROM.1983.21
Production place: Asia – West Asia – Iran
Production period: Seljuq-Ilkhan Dynasty
Source
Bowl 2:
Title: bowls (Underglaze painted frit ware)
Creation date: 1100-1299; Seljuq-Ilkhan Dynasty
Description: Persian bowl, slightly flaming sides on straight base, in blue and black on white ground, interlaced medallion in centre, palm and formal foliage on inside walls, Kufic inscription round rim (White bowl with a flying duck in deep blue on the bottom of the bowl and deep blue stripes radiating all round). Seljug ware.
Dimensions: diameter 215 mm; height 100 mm
Physical Description: Underglaze painted frit ware
Material: materials – inorganic material – clay – clay products – ceramic
Object number: DUROM.1983.27
Production place: Asia – West Asia – Iran
Production period: Seljuq-Ilkhan Dynasty
Notes: -
Credit line: gift from the National Arts Collection Fund from the bequest of Henry Van der Bergh
Source
Bowl 3:
Having attempted to educate myself on Persian pottery as a whole, I felt like my podcast would be improved by including some references and comparisons to some of the other pots that arrived in Durham through the same Henry Van den Bergh bequest. For this reason, I contacted both Rachel and the National Arts Fund to send me records of the transaction and any more information surrounding the goods.
Above is pictured the information surrounding all nine bequests, which is covered in deeper detail in my paths of the bowl post.
Bowl 1:
Creation date: 1100-1299; Seljuq-Ilkhan Dynasty
Description: Persian celligraphic bowl, enamel with 'Minai' work. Rounded sides decorated in red, green and blue on white ground, with two opposed equestrian figures separated by a tree with birds at the base and a Kufic inscription round the rim inside. It has calligraphic decoration on the outside as well.
Dimensions: diameter 220
Material: materials – inorganic material – clay – clay products – ceramic
Object number: DUROM.1983.21
Production place: Asia – West Asia – Iran
Production period: Seljuq-Ilkhan Dynasty
Source
Bowl 2:
Creation date: 1100-1299; Seljuq-Ilkhan Dynasty
Description: Persian bowl, slightly flaming sides on straight base, in blue and black on white ground, interlaced medallion in centre, palm and formal foliage on inside walls, Kufic inscription round rim (White bowl with a flying duck in deep blue on the bottom of the bowl and deep blue stripes radiating all round). Seljug ware.
Dimensions: diameter 215 mm; height 100 mm
Physical Description: Underglaze painted frit ware
Material: materials – inorganic material – clay – clay products – ceramic
Object number: DUROM.1983.27
Production place: Asia – West Asia – Iran
Production period: Seljuq-Ilkhan Dynasty
Notes: -
Credit line: gift from the National Arts Collection Fund from the bequest of Henry Van der Bergh
Source
Bowl 3:
Title: bowls (Frit ware with lustre decoration)
Creation date: 1100-1299; Seljuq-Ilkhan Dynasty
Description: Persian lustre ware bowl decorated on the inside with a rider on a horse against a foliate background and on the outside with a calligraphic inscription in brownish gold and cream.
Dimensions: diameter 190 mm; height 80 mm
Physical Description: Frit ware with lustre decoration
Material: materials – inorganic material – clay – clay products – ceramic
Object number: DUROM.1983.28
Production place: Asia – West Asia – Iran
Production period: Seljuq-Ilkhan Dynasty
Notes: -
Credit line: gift from the National Arts Collection Fund from the bequest of Henry Van der Bergh
Source
Since a comparison of all 8 objects would have been too confusing and superficial, I have decided to focus on the three pictured above to make more concise observations and improve the depth of the research.
As we can see, the first bowl is also made with the Minai technique, and the second is also fritware, however the third is lustreware. These types of ceramics are closely linked, and give us an accurate source of our objects. They originate from the Seljuq-Ilkhan Dynasty so we can also assume that Henry was specifically collecting from this period at the time. These objects are all in fairly good condition in comparison to the bowl that I have chosen since they are all intact with no fragmentation or breakages. Their sizes are also all relatively similar. Very few original pieces of this pottery have survived, so these bowls are incredible artefacts to be housed in the museum and a fortunate survival.
Unlike my object these bowls have a less religious background as they feature imagery of people. Aniconism is the avoidance of images of sentient beings in some forms of Islamic art and stems in part from the prohibition of idolatry and in part from the belief that creation of living forms is God's prerogative. Although the Quran does not explicitly prohibit visual representation of any living being, it uses the word musawwir (maker of forms, artist) as an epithet of God.
Creation date: 1100-1299; Seljuq-Ilkhan Dynasty
Description: Persian lustre ware bowl decorated on the inside with a rider on a horse against a foliate background and on the outside with a calligraphic inscription in brownish gold and cream.
Dimensions: diameter 190 mm; height 80 mm
Physical Description: Frit ware with lustre decoration
Material: materials – inorganic material – clay – clay products – ceramic
Object number: DUROM.1983.28
Production place: Asia – West Asia – Iran
Production period: Seljuq-Ilkhan Dynasty
Notes: -
Credit line: gift from the National Arts Collection Fund from the bequest of Henry Van der Bergh
Source
Since a comparison of all 8 objects would have been too confusing and superficial, I have decided to focus on the three pictured above to make more concise observations and improve the depth of the research.
As we can see, the first bowl is also made with the Minai technique, and the second is also fritware, however the third is lustreware. These types of ceramics are closely linked, and give us an accurate source of our objects. They originate from the Seljuq-Ilkhan Dynasty so we can also assume that Henry was specifically collecting from this period at the time. These objects are all in fairly good condition in comparison to the bowl that I have chosen since they are all intact with no fragmentation or breakages. Their sizes are also all relatively similar. Very few original pieces of this pottery have survived, so these bowls are incredible artefacts to be housed in the museum and a fortunate survival.
Unlike my object these bowls have a less religious background as they feature imagery of people. Aniconism is the avoidance of images of sentient beings in some forms of Islamic art and stems in part from the prohibition of idolatry and in part from the belief that creation of living forms is God's prerogative. Although the Quran does not explicitly prohibit visual representation of any living being, it uses the word musawwir (maker of forms, artist) as an epithet of God.
Decoratively, the figures often appear moon-faced and full in form on both. These decorative elements are thought to have originated in textile design and book illustrations - the general repertoire of Minai iconography reflects princely life, with scenes of courtly entertainment, hunting, polo, music and warefare, while many are also inscribed with references to Persian poetry – however little is known of these bowls original intended function.The central scene in bowls 1 and 3 both depict riders on horses against foliate backgrounds and with the addition of other birds at the base in the case of bowl 1. According my translator, Ali the inscription on the piece is a reputation of wa al-d(wawla) which translates as ‘wealth’. Around the outer rim reads another inscription of al-izz, which translates as ‘glory’. These textual references highlight the fact that the plate would have been both costly in production and was intended to offer the owner the virtues inscribed. Similarly, my object would have been thought to bring good will to a family and used for decorative means. There is a similar Minai bowl in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York which also features a horse man and servant and has an inscription in Kufic. It features many of the same colours but is also in worse condition. Compared to the voracious output of the potters, this highlights that are relatively few pots and ornaments left, and points to the incredible condition and luck of Durham to house the collection that they do.
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