Dish thumbnail 1
Dish thumbnail 2
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images
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Islamic Middle East, Room 42, The Jameel Gallery

Dish

9th century-10th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Iran (made)
Iraq (made)
Rayy (discovered)

After 800 the cut-glass vessels produced in Iraq and Iran became more sophisticated. The thick walls were ground or cut away to leave the decoration in bold relief. Designs such as this quail-like bird surrounded by a pearl border on the dish were often inspired by Sasanian models.


Object details

Category
Glass
Object type
Dish
Materials and techniques
Cut blown glass
Glass
Blowing
Cutting
Brief description
Dish, clear, pale blue tinted relief-cut glass with a quail-like bird, Iraq or Iran, 9th-10th century.
Physical description
Fragmentary plate of pale blue glass, deeply cut. Central medallion of bird with smaller medallions featuring running animals around rim, originally nine. Medallion borders with pearl motif, smaller medallions linked to each other and to the larger central one by a simple cut. One horizontal band around shoulder. Some small bubbles in glass. Profile rather splayed.
Dimensions
  • Height: 3.5cm
  • Maximum width: 19.7cm
Style
Islamic
Gallery label
  • Jameel Gallery Cut-Glass Dish and Bottle Iraq or Iran 800-1000 and 900-1100 After 800 the cut-glass vessels produced in Iraq and Iran became more sophisticated. The thick walls were ground or cut away to leave the decoration in bold relief. Designs such as the quail-like bird surrounded by a pearl border on the dish were often inspired by Sasanian models. Glass, blown and wheel-cut Museum nos. C.128-1936, Given by Mrs Wilfred Buckley in memory of her husband; C.20-1965(Jameel Gallery)
  • Said to have been found at Rayy, in Iran. The motifs of birds and running animals is characteristic of cut glass of this type, and also of cut rock-crystal from which the style was probably inspired. This deeply cut dish was weathered in burial, and the patina was removed (prior to its acquisition by the Museum), leaving a curious waxy texture.(Old label)
Credit line
Wilfred Buckley Collection
Object history
The running freize of animals on this plate relates it to a body of deeply cut glass vessels which have been attributed to Iran and to the 9th-10th centuries. The bird in the central medallion, however, is consistant with Byzantine iconography, particularly on metalwork.
Production
Said to have been found at Rayy, near Tehran.
Subject depicted
Animals
Summary
After 800 the cut-glass vessels produced in Iraq and Iran became more sophisticated. The thick walls were ground or cut away to leave the decoration in bold relief. Designs such as this quail-like bird surrounded by a pearl border on the dish were often inspired by Sasanian models.
Bibliographic reference
Kroger, Berlin no. 195
Other number
8220 - Glass gallery number
Collection
Middle East Section
Accession number
C.128-1936

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Record createdDecember 13, 1997
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O2381/dish-unknown/
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