Nishapur ceramics

This pitcher had been excavated in Nishapur, Iran and thought to have been made in the 9th-10th century C.E.
It is earthenware, decorated in in poly-chromatic colours with a transparent glaze (known as a buff glaze). It is 26.7cm high. The pitcher can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession Number: 38.40.247.

◊

This bowl was excavated in Nishapur, Iran but was thought to have been made in Uzbekistan in the late 10th-11th century C.E. because of the central decoration. It is also decorated with writing that translates to “Blessing, felicity, prosperity, well-being, happiness” in Arabic, which was meant for the owner of the bowl.
It was made of earthenware, white slip with polychrome slip under a transparent glaze. It has a diametre of 35.6 cm and a height of 10.8 cm. The bowl is currently in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Accession Number: 40.170.15.

Recommended reading
CERAMICS xiv. The Islamic Period, 11th-15th centuries by Ernst J. Grube. Via Encyclopaedia Iranica.

“Islamic Pottery: A Brief History” by Marilyn Jenkins.

Early Islamic lustre from Egypt, Syria and Iran (10th to 13th century AD) by T. Pradell, J. Molera, A.D. Smith, and M.S. Tite.

Nishapur: Pottery of the Early Islamic Period by Wilkinson, Charles K.

The Glazed Pottery of Nishapur and Samarkand by Wilkinson, Charles K.

Cloud collar!

Sorry for not posting this sooner, but mundane life has been distracting me from the pure research. So I thought to get everything rolling by posting the product of previous research. Having done research into Persian cloud collars in 2015 (the post can be read at “My own Persian cloud collar research”) and having commissioned two Persian Timurid coats through my friend at Mikhaila’s Unmentionables, I finally followed through with embroidery plans.

I decided to do a collar that sat proud of the coat, but was attached at the neck. First step is to create a template.

The third template design, which can be done up & go around the neck.

Having settled on the template, I used two layers of silk and linen which would eventually be lined with white linen.

This is two layers, sewn quickly together and marked out with a soluble pen.

The design itself is quite complex scrolling. The stitch I chose to work in Au ver a Soie indigo silk thread was stem stitch. I eventually regretted this choice, as it was painful on the hands.

This stage took quite a while to get to. I had given myself a deadline of 12th Night.

The final result-

The collar the night before the event. Still damp from preparations.

I entered it into the Lochac Arts & Sciences competition with the topic of “from the Middle East”. I won!

Timurid jade

This jade jug was thought to have been made during the Timurid era in India, the 15th century C.E. It had been carved with the dimensions of 10.1 cm high by 15.1 cm wide and a depth of 13.2 cm and with a Chinese dragon handle, similar to other Timurid handled cups and jugs. It is currently on loan to the Freer and Sackler Museum.

This 15th century jade jug was made specifically for Ulugh Beg in Samarkand. The inscription around the neck gives his titles. Later in the 17th century it was in the treasure collection of the Mughal ruler Jahangir, with his name and titles added to the inscriptions along with his son and heir Shah Jahan. The jug is currently in the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum.

This cup was also made for Ulugh Beg, with an inscription bearing his name next to another saying

The generosity of God is infinite.

Also made in Samarkand, the cup is 7.3 cm high, 19.5 cm wide with a depth of 12.4 cm. There is a repair made in silver done during Ottoman times. The cup is currently in the British Museum. More views can be also be seen.

Recommended reading
Jade– Encyclopedia Iranica.

BBC- History of the World: Jade dragon cup.

Only the Best: Masterpieces of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum– edited by Baetjer, K. & Draper, J.D., Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2000.

Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in the Metropolitan Museum– edited by Ekhtiar, M., Soucek, P., Canby, S., & Haidar, N., Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2011.

Jade edited by Roger Keverne, Anness Publishing Ltd, New York, 1991.

Four Seljuk rings

This 12th-13th century ring is made of silver and gold with the diametre of 2.5cm.

There is a carved seal of purple stone and a calligraphic niello design on the under side.

The inscription on the seal reads-

“bi’llah yathiq ‘ali”

which in English means “Ali puts his trust in God”. The second inscription around the bezel reads-

“al-‘izz al-da/’im wa al-i/qbal al/ al-baqa”

which in English translates to “Perpetual Glory, Prosperity, and Long-life.” The final inscription has not been translated. The ring was sold by Sotheby’s for 27,500 GBP.

◊

This 12th-13th century ring of gold has a bezel decorated with two birds, inside a cartouche surrounded by arabesques and human figures holding up pseudo claw settings. The ring is 1.7 cm high. Sold by Christie’s for 2,115 GBP.

◊

This 12th-13th century gold ring is decorated in a hexagonal shape with niello in a curling arabesque design and a calligraphic inscription that reads-

“Abu Bakr Musa”

who was the owner of the ring. The band of the ring has harpies and palmettes. It is 1.9 cm high. It was sold by Bonhams for 1,800 GBP.

◊

This high stirrup ring is 9th-11th century silver, with a high raised bezel setting with an amethyst. There is a calligraphic kufic inscription which reads in English-

“Blessing to Hasan”

who is the owner of the ring. It is 3.8cm high. It had been passed in at Bonhams.

The citadel and old city of Bam, Iran

Taken from Wikimedia Commons.

The citadel and old city of Bam in Iran has been inhabited since the time of the Parthian Empire, which was between 247 B.C.E to 224 C.E. However, the city became an important stop on the silk and cotton trade route, specialising in garments sewn from the imported textiles during the 7th to 11th century C.E.

Bam has been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list as being one of the best fortified city and citadel built with layers of mud and mud bricks. It is also an oasis area of the Kerman Province with underground irrigation pipes that can be dated from the time of original settlement.

Unfortunately in 2003 there was a major earthquake that severely damaged the old city and citadel.
Taken from Wikimedia Commons.

Since 2004 UNESCO and the Iranian Government have had a reconstruction plan in place to rebuild the city using traditional techniques with only a few modern additions.

My own Persian Cloud Collar research

I have been conducting my own research into Persian cloud collars. My work is very much based on other Scadian’s work.

This is just the beginning- I have found over 100 illuminations of cloud collars but have only included two in the article. Very much a work in progress!

Let me know what you think!

cloudcollararticle PDF

A dancer with a Vina

This picture is 17th century Persian, although originally found in Turkey. It is a leaf from a manuscript, 11 cm by 19.1 cm. The dancer is holding a vina, which is an Indian instrument. The picture is currently in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Recommended reading about Indian music
Saṅgītaśiromaṇi: A Medieval Handbook of Indian Music edited by Emmie Te Nijenhuis. Via Google Books.

Musical Instruments of the Indian Subcontinent by Allen Roda. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.

History of Indian music by P. Sambamoorthy. Via Internet Archive.

A Seljuk vase

This vase is from the Seljuk period in Iran, 12th century C.E. It is a molded vase with a cobalt blue glaze, 26.6cm high and 15.8cm wide.

The molded decorations are of dancing figures It is currently in the Yale University Art Gallery.

More bowls from the South Australian exhibit

This bowl is from 10th-11th century Iran. This is made of earthenware with under-glaze slip decorations of the zodiac sign of Capricorn.

♦

This bowl is also from the 10th-11th century Iran. Made from earthenware, it has under-glaze slip decoration of the zodiac sign Leo. The kiln firing caused part of the glaze to melt & blur.

♦

This bowl was made in the 13th century in central Iran. It is made from stone paste earthenware, with under-glaze decorations of birds and scroll work.

♦

The bowl made made between the 10th-11th century in Iran. It is made from stone paste earthenware with lustre glaze decorations of calligraphy and scrolled flowers.

♦

More ceramics from the South Australian exhibit

More thanks go to Mistress ffride wlffsdotter, who has been most gently encouraging me to post these beautiful pictures she took.

This bowl is from 13th-14th century Iran. It is stone paste earthenware with lustre decoration of three people in a garden. It is part of the Gallery’s permanent collection. The size of the bowl is 22.4 cm.

♦

This bowl is also 13th century from Iran. The bowl is 21.4 cm, stone paste earthenware with underglaze and lustre decorations of the story of Bahram Gur. The bowl is in the permanent collection of the Gallery.

♦

This bowl is from 10th century Iran. The bowl is earthenware with underglaze slip decorations of a “cosmic prince” a zodiac symbol of the sun.

♦