Bowl thumbnail 1

Bowl

ca. 1220 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

In many Islamic societies, scenes containing humans and animals were a common type of decoration in non-religious contexts. The source of this imagery was usually poetry, the most highly esteemed form of secular literature.

Luxury copies of narrative poems were often illustrated with fine paintings, and the more familiar episodes were depicted on palace walls and objects. Love lyrics accompanied portrayals of beautiful young men and women. Odes in praise of the ruler inspired enthronement scenes. The recitation of poems at court was depicted, as were princely activities such as hunting and playing polo.

In the poetry recited at such entertainments, the gazelle was often a metaphor for elusive beauty. Appropriately, the gazelle on this bowl is surrounded by Persian verses.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Fritware, with lustre decoration
Brief description
Bowl with lustre-painted representation of a gazelle by a stream surrounded by Persian verses, Iran (Kashan), ca. 1220.
Physical description
Fritware bowl with decoration in lustre highlighted with cobalt. The center of the bowl features a long-legged gazelle by a stream inhabited by two fish, while the cavetto has verses inscribed in lustre on a white background and the rim features verses in white on a lustre ground.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 22.6cm
Styles
Marks and inscriptions
  • (Text of a quatrain in Persian, written in lustre on white in the cavetto, twelve o'clock to seven o'clock)
    Translation
    The Nu'man tulip takes its colour from your cheek! The speaking parrot learns to take the sugar from your two ruby-coloured lips. Jealous of the splendour of your face, the full-moon of the fourteenth night bites its finger.
  • کاتبه محمد بن محمد النیشابوری المقیم بقاشان (Text in Arabic, written in lustre on white in the cavetto, nine o'clock to twelve o'clock)
    Translation
    The writer of [these words] is Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nayshaburi, who is resident in Qashan.
  • برکت لصاحبه (Short text in Persianized Arabic written in lustre on white in the cavetto, eight to nine o'clock.)
    Translation
    Blessings to its owner
Gallery label
(Jameel Gallery)
Jameel Gallery

10–12 Dish and Bowls
Iran, probably Kashan
1180–1220

On each vessel, a single image is accompanied by verses in Persian concerned with frustrated love. The figures depicted stand for those who are loved but who do not love in return.

On the lustre dish, a young prince rides out to play polo. The first bowl shows one youth offering another a glass of wine, while his companion watches.

The gazelle on the second bowl is a metaphor for elusive beauty, which flees as the huntsman approaches.

12 Fritware with lustre over and colour in the glaze. Signed by Muhammad son of Muhammad Nishapuri in Kashan
Museum no. C.162-1977
Given by Mr C.N. Ades, MBE, in memory of his wife, Andrée Ades
(Old label)
BOWL
White earthenware painted in lustre.
Inscribed: "Written by Muhammad, a man of Nishapur, residing at Kashan".
Found at Jurjan.
PERSIAN (Kashan); early 13th century.
Given by Mr.C.N.Ades MBE in memory of his wife Andree Ades.
Credit line
Given by Mr C. N. Ades MBE in memory of his wife Andrée Ades
Object history
This vessel was part of a hoard that was deliberately buried by its owner, probably a merchant who lived in Jurjan in north-east Iran, or who was passing through the city. In 1220, Jurjan was threatened by a Mongol invasion. The merchant packed the vessels in sand inside large storage jars and buried them for safekeeping. Soon afterwards, Jurjan was completely destroyed by the Mongols, and the owner never returned to recover the hoard.As a result, the vessels in this hoard survived together for almost 800 years, and in relatively good condition. The probable date of their burial also gives us a good indication of when the vessels in the hoard were made, as well as showing the wide variety of types of decoration that were used to make Iranian pottery at this time.

Clement Ades gave a large number of objects found in the Jurjan hoard to the Victoria and Albert Museum at different times. Their object numbers are C.152 to 171-1977, and C.35 to 49-1978.
Historical context
This bowl was found at Jurjan, in north-east Iran, but was certainly made in Kashan. It feature many of the diagnostic elements of the fully-developed ‘Kashan style’, in which wares made throughout the thirteenth century were decorated. These include its conical shape and the use of underglaze blue for details. However, it also bears the signature of the potter Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nishapuri (from Nishapur), “residing at Kashan”. The main decoration features a long-legged gazelle by a stream, which is surrounded by two concentric bands containing quatrains of Persian poetry on the theme of love.
Subjects depicted
Summary
In many Islamic societies, scenes containing humans and animals were a common type of decoration in non-religious contexts. The source of this imagery was usually poetry, the most highly esteemed form of secular literature.

Luxury copies of narrative poems were often illustrated with fine paintings, and the more familiar episodes were depicted on palace walls and objects. Love lyrics accompanied portrayals of beautiful young men and women. Odes in praise of the ruler inspired enthronement scenes. The recitation of poems at court was depicted, as were princely activities such as hunting and playing polo.

In the poetry recited at such entertainments, the gazelle was often a metaphor for elusive beauty. Appropriately, the gazelle on this bowl is surrounded by Persian verses.
Bibliographic references
  • Watson, Oliver. Persian Lustre Ware. London: Faber and Faber, 1985. ISBN 0-571-13235-9. Colour Plate G, pp. 41, 43, 93, 98, 104, 108, 181
  • Tim Stanley (ed.), with Mariam Rosser-Owen and Stephen Vernoit, Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Middle East, London, V&A Publications, 2004 pp.83, 88, 91, 92, 122
  • Mehdi Bahrami, Gurgan Faiences, Cairo, 1949, p. 127 no. 3.
  • Watson, O. A Syrian Bull,Apollo,Feb. 1981 (in object file)
Collection
Accession number
C.162-1977

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Record createdSeptember 1, 1998
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