The dish shows the Archangel Michael. In his left hand, he brandishes a sword, and his clothing is probably derived from the armour worn by an Early Christian military saint. It is here shown as though made of cloth, and the breastplate and skirt form an animal mask motif. In his right hand Michael holds a scroll and the soul of the dead man who lies beneath his feet. The soul is depicted as a naked, beardless figure with arms crossed. The rim is inscribed in Armenian with the words, ‘[This] is the Archangel’, and the date 1168 in the Armenian calendar, equivalent to AD 1718–1719.
On the reverse, there is the name of the patron, Abraham Vardapet. He was an Armenian cleric, also known as Abraham of Crete, resident at this time in the Turkish town of Tekirdagh, on the Thracian shore of the Sea of Marmara. He moved to Ejmiadzin in Armenia in 1734, when he became head of the Armenian church as Catholicos Abraham III. The dish was produced in the town of Kütahya in western Turkey, where a group of Armenian settlers were involved in ceramic production. It shows that Armenian merchants and churchmen were the patrons of ceramic production in both Turkey and Iran, where Armenian immigrants lived in scattered communities linked by trade.
Physical description
Description taken from, Carswell, J & Dowsett CJF, Kütahya Tiles and Pottery from the Armenian Cathedral of St. James, Jerusalem, vol. 1, Oxford, 1972, pp. 68-69
Painted in yellow, green, cobalt blue, turquoise, with touches of red and brownish-black outlines. The transparent glaze has a slight greenish tinge on the base.
The dish shows the Archangel Michael brandishing a sword and holding the soul of a dead man, who lies beneath his feet. St. Michael wears a yellow blouse over a short green robe. The folds of the blouse assume the character of a face, with pointed ears, eyes, nose, and moustache. The ends of the sleeves are shaped like animals' heads, with eyes and small pointed ears. The robe is drawn together between the legs and has a mouth painted on it. St. Michael holds an uplifted sword in his right hand; the sword is of the yataghan type, with a trefoil guard. He wears greaves and stitched footwear revealing the toes. In his left hand he holds a scroll, and the soul of a dead man, depicted as a naked, beardless figure with arms crossed, streaked with red. The dead man wears a loin-cloth; his eyes are open, he has a forked beard, and his feet appear bound together. on the left is a bunch of brightly coloured flowers. The rim is inscribed at top and bottom in Armenian, in black on a green border.
The back of the dish is painted with four sprays of blue flowers and leaves of different types, with four smaller sprays between them. An inscription in Armenian bolorgir is painted in black across the base.
Place of Origin
Kütahya (City), Turkey (probably, made)
Turkey (made)
Date
1718 (dated)
Artist/maker
unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
Fritware, polychrome painted, glazed
Marks and inscriptions
(This) is the Archangel
[1168] AD 1718/1719
NB. the Armenian year 1168 began on 23 September 1718
[Abraham Vardapet] Abraham Vardapet
Dimensions
Diameter: 22 cm, Height: 4.9 cm maximum
Descriptive line
Dish with the Archangel Michael, fritware, painted in colours, Turkey (probably Kütahya), dated 1718.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Tim Stanley ed., with Mariam Rosser-Owen and Stephen Vernoit, Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Middle East, London, V&A Publications, 2004; p. 38, plate 50
Lane, Arthur. Later Islamic Pottery. London: Faber and Faber, 1957. 133p., ill. Page 64, plate 50A
Carswell, John & Dowsett CJF. Kütahya Tiles and Pottery from the Armenian Cathedral of St. James, Jerusalem, Vol. 1. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1972. pp. 68-69, Fig. 10, Plate 16.
Includes a section drawing (Fig.10), a colour image of the front and a black and white image of the back (both on Plate 16).
Exhibition History
'Treasures from the Ark: 1700 years of Armenian Art 301-2001' (British Library, London 02/03/2001-27/05/2001)
Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Victoria and Albert Museum (The Millennium Galleries, Sheffield 14/01/2006-16/04/2006)
Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Victoria and Albert Museum (Setagaya Art Museum, Tokyo 01/10/2005-04/12/2005)
Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Victoria and Albert Museum (Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas 03/04/2005-04/09/2005)
Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Victoria and Albert Museum (National Gallery of Art, Washington 18/07/2004-06/02/2005)
Labels and date
DISH
White earthenware painted in colours.
St. Michael saving a man's soul.
Inscribed in Armenian, "Archangel, 1168", and on the back, Wartabed (i.e. Canon) Abraham.
TURKISH (KUTAHIA); Armenian date corresponding to 1719 A.D. [Used until 11/2003]
Dish with Archangel Michael
Turkey, probably Kütahya
Dated 1718
Michael brandishes a sword with one hand. With the other, he holds the soul of the dead man at his feet. Michael's breastplate takes the form of an animal mask. This design was derived from images of ancient Roman armour in European printed books. The inscription in Armenian reads, 'This is the Archangel'.
Fritware painted under the glaze
Museum no. 279-1893 [Jameel Gallery]
Production Note
Armenian date corresponding to AD 1718/1719, inscribed in Armenian 'Archangel, 1168'
Materials
Fritware
Techniques
Underglazing
Subjects depicted
Dragons; Angel; Michael (Saint); Judgement
Categories
Ceramics; Christianity
Collection code
MES
