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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.”Mina’i ware scenes often depict courtly pursuits, such as feasting, fighting, or poetry and music performances. These colorful compositions created complex narrative scenes which paralleled manuscript painting. On the body of this footed jug are roundels in a variety of colors, each containing a seated figure. Around the roundels are stylized floral and vine motifs. Pairs of birds form the border along the lower register of the jug, while a pseudo-kufic inscription encircles the rim of the jug. A pseudo-kufic inscription marks the interior rim of the jug.

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
8714
label
Jug with Seated Figures and Birds
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
6
Source metadata
id
8714
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Jug with Seated Figures and Birds
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.”Mina’i ware scenes often depict courtly pursuits, such as feasting, fighting, or poetry and music performances. These colorful compositions created complex narrative scenes which paralleled manuscript painting. On the body of this footed jug are roundels in a variety of colors, each containing a seated figure. Around the roundels are stylized floral and vine motifs. Pairs of birds form the border along the lower register of the jug, while a pseudo-kufic inscription encircles the rim of the jug. A pseudo-kufic inscription marks the interior rim of the jug.
provenance
Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1930, [mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
late 12th-early 13th century (Seljuq (?))
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
jugs
imageCount
6
pageCount
6
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
13.1
height
14
dimensionsRaw
H at rim: 5 3/16 × Diam: 5 1/2 in. (13.1 × 14 cm); H with handle: : 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm)
Source extras
med
fritware, white underglaze, black, blue, dark green, dark purple, pink, red, and white overglaze enamel, with traces of gilding
creator_ids
6768
collection_ids
none
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
6a354debcc0e7601
hasOcr
no
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no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
6943604852cc95b0
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
481a6d6daafe9474
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
4
type
photo
mediaId
7f2a8de7ab7bb352
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
5
type
photo
mediaId
06028e057ca2967c
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
6
type
photo
mediaId
c270d9c2a0c12743
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no