Mortar (havan)
Mortar
13th century (cast)
13th century (cast)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
The octagonal shaft of the mortar rests on a low slanting base matched by a slanting everted rim. Both rim and base are separated from the shaft by a three-stepped moulding.
The shaft has a border top and bottom engraved with continuous scrolls that carry finely engraved trilobed floral motifs. They are framed by copper-inlaid fillets.
The central band around the body is engraved with eight-pointed stars. These each enclose a human-faced birde (an anqa) wearing a three-horned crown. The 'harpies' are arranged so that they face one another thus forming pairs. a scrolling foliate ground covers the entire central band, both within and without the stars.
Epigraphic friezes in naskhi on a scrolling ground, run around the base and the slanting underside of the flat everted lip. The upper band is divided into horizontal cartouches with incurving ends. The lower is placed in cartouches formed by the framing fillet that runs above and below, looping to form spacers in the form of interlaced knots.
The topside of the everted lip is decorated with an epigraphic band, divided into eight cartouches by separating roundels. The roundels each enclose a pattern of an interlaced six-point star. The frames of the cartouches, roundels, and the linear designs are all inlaid with copper. The inscription on the everted lip is in tall simple Kufic with wedge-shaped pieces reaching up to the upper limit. It stands out against a foliate scrolling ground.
Patina: Some limited areas of emerald green sulphurous copper. Otherwise mostly purple red with the yellow alloy showing in some places.
The shaft has a border top and bottom engraved with continuous scrolls that carry finely engraved trilobed floral motifs. They are framed by copper-inlaid fillets.
The central band around the body is engraved with eight-pointed stars. These each enclose a human-faced birde (an anqa) wearing a three-horned crown. The 'harpies' are arranged so that they face one another thus forming pairs. a scrolling foliate ground covers the entire central band, both within and without the stars.
Epigraphic friezes in naskhi on a scrolling ground, run around the base and the slanting underside of the flat everted lip. The upper band is divided into horizontal cartouches with incurving ends. The lower is placed in cartouches formed by the framing fillet that runs above and below, looping to form spacers in the form of interlaced knots.
The topside of the everted lip is decorated with an epigraphic band, divided into eight cartouches by separating roundels. The roundels each enclose a pattern of an interlaced six-point star. The frames of the cartouches, roundels, and the linear designs are all inlaid with copper. The inscription on the everted lip is in tall simple Kufic with wedge-shaped pieces reaching up to the upper limit. It stands out against a foliate scrolling ground.
Patina: Some limited areas of emerald green sulphurous copper. Otherwise mostly purple red with the yellow alloy showing in some places.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Title | Mortar (havan) (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Cast brass decorated with engraved champlevé designs and partly inlaid with copper, the ground filled with black composition. |
Brief description | Cast brass octagonal mortar decorated with engraved champlevé designs. |
Physical description | The octagonal shaft of the mortar rests on a low slanting base matched by a slanting everted rim. Both rim and base are separated from the shaft by a three-stepped moulding. The shaft has a border top and bottom engraved with continuous scrolls that carry finely engraved trilobed floral motifs. They are framed by copper-inlaid fillets. The central band around the body is engraved with eight-pointed stars. These each enclose a human-faced birde (an anqa) wearing a three-horned crown. The 'harpies' are arranged so that they face one another thus forming pairs. a scrolling foliate ground covers the entire central band, both within and without the stars. Epigraphic friezes in naskhi on a scrolling ground, run around the base and the slanting underside of the flat everted lip. The upper band is divided into horizontal cartouches with incurving ends. The lower is placed in cartouches formed by the framing fillet that runs above and below, looping to form spacers in the form of interlaced knots. The topside of the everted lip is decorated with an epigraphic band, divided into eight cartouches by separating roundels. The roundels each enclose a pattern of an interlaced six-point star. The frames of the cartouches, roundels, and the linear designs are all inlaid with copper. The inscription on the everted lip is in tall simple Kufic with wedge-shaped pieces reaching up to the upper limit. It stands out against a foliate scrolling ground. Patina: Some limited areas of emerald green sulphurous copper. Otherwise mostly purple red with the yellow alloy showing in some places. |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Marks and inscriptions |
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Gallery label | MORTAR.
Bronze, engraved with fabulous beast.
PERSIAN; 12th century.
STAND.
Engraved bronze, inlaid with copper.
PERSIAN; 13th CENTURY.(Used until 09/2002) |
Object history | Purchased from J.Moradoff & Sons, 6 New Street, London, EC12, 12th June 1929. |
Historical context | No specimen of this type has been published before. The closest parallel is a mortar at the Herat Museum - Illustrated in Melikian-Chirvani, 1982, pg 68, fig.38. |
Subject depicted | |
Bibliographic reference | Melikian-Chirvani, A.S.Islamic Metalwork from the Iranian World,London:HMSO, 1982. p.110-111. ISBN 0 11 290252 9 |
Collection | |
Accession number | M.111-1929 |
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Record created | March 12, 2003 |
Record URL |
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