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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.”Sphinxes, griffins, and a heron parade about the exterior of this footed jug. Stylized floral motifs surround the handle of the jug and feet of the griffin, while two rings of geometric patterns encircle the figures. A kufic inscription marks the upper exterior rim while a pseudo-kufic inscription encircles the interior rim of the jug.

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
21070
label
Jug with Sphinxes, Griffins, and Heron
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
7
Source metadata
id
21070
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Jug with Sphinxes, Griffins, and Heron
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.”Sphinxes, griffins, and a heron parade about the exterior of this footed jug. Stylized floral motifs surround the handle of the jug and feet of the griffin, while two rings of geometric patterns encircle the figures. A kufic inscription marks the upper exterior rim while a pseudo-kufic inscription encircles the interior rim of the jug.
provenance
Acquired by Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1925; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
date
late 12th-early 13th century (Seljuq (?))
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
jugs
imageCount
7
pageCount
7
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
12.7
height
13.3
depth
12.9
dimensionsRaw
H with handle: 5 × W with handle: 5 1/4 × D: 5 1/16 in. (12.7 × 13.3 × 12.9 cm); H of rim: 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm)
Source extras
med
fritware, turquoise underglaze, overglaze enamel with black, blue, dark green, pink, red, and white, with traces of gilding
creator_ids
6768
collection_ids
ISL
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
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photo
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photo
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photo
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type
photo
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type
photo
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photo
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type
photo
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no
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no