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Source Description

Mina’i is a modern collectors’ term for ceramics made in Iran during the late 12th to early 13th centuries. The term mina’i, translates as “enamelled” in Persian, designating the colored glass pigments used to paint detailed figural decoration on vessels or tiles, which were then fixed on the ceramic base by multiple firings. The use of a wide range of colors, including turquoise, red, green, purple, and black, also led these types of ceramics to be called by the Persian term “haft rang,” or “seven colors.”These colorful compositions created complex narrative scenes which paralleled manuscript painting. Mina’i ware scenes often depict courtly pursuits, such as feasting, fighting, or poetry and music performances. The combination of leisurely activities with more warrior-like occupations, such as the hunt, was frequently used in the medieval Persian iconography of kingship. This is referred to as bazm wa razm, or feasting and fighting. This juxtaposition is seen here, with the central figure, perhaps a ruler, seated on a fully harnessed horse, surrounded by seated four seated figures, who may be courtiers. A pseudo-inscription in kufic lines the interior rim of the bowl, while a pseudo-inscription in naskhi can be seen on the exterior.

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
20742
label
Bowl with Horseman and Seated Figures
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
7
Source metadata
id
20742
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Bowl with Horseman and Seated Figures
description
Mina’i is a modern collectors’ term for ceramics made in Iran during the late 12th to early 13th centuries. The term mina’i, translates as “enamelled” in Persian, designating the colored glass pigments used to paint detailed figural decoration on vessels or tiles, which were then fixed on the ceramic base by multiple firings. The use of a wide range of colors, including turquoise, red, green, purple, and black, also led these types of ceramics to be called by the Persian term “haft rang,” or “seven colors.”These colorful compositions created complex narrative scenes which paralleled manuscript painting. Mina’i ware scenes often depict courtly pursuits, such as feasting, fighting, or poetry and music performances. The combination of leisurely activities with more warrior-like occupations, such as the hunt, was frequently used in the medieval Persian iconography of kingship. This is referred to as bazm wa razm, or feasting and fighting. This juxtaposition is seen here, with the central figure, perhaps a ruler, seated on a fully harnessed horse, surrounded by seated four seated figures, who may be courtiers. A pseudo-inscription in kufic lines the interior rim of the bowl, while a pseudo-inscription in naskhi can be seen on the exterior.
provenance
Dikran Kelekian, New York and Paris, [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
late 12th-early 13th century (Seljuq (?))
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
bowls (vessels)
imageCount
7
pageCount
7
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
6.9
height
16.7
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 2 11/16 x 6 9/16 in. (6.9 x 16.7 cm)
Source extras
med
fritware, white underglaze, black, blue, brown, dark green, dark purple, pink, red, turquoise, white overglaze enamel, traces of gilding
creator_ids
6768
collection_ids
none
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
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seq
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type
photo
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no