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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 These princely activities were frequently set within a garden setting like the one seen here, which includes tall plants and birds flying above. The kufic inscription on the interior rim, while partially erased, appears to be a pseudo-inscription. The cursive naskhi inscription on the outside of the bowl also appears to be the repetition of the same word.

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
24213
label
Bowl with Seated figures and Birds
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
6
Source metadata
id
24213
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Bowl 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 These princely activities were frequently set within a garden setting like the one seen here, which includes tall plants and birds flying above. The kufic inscription on the interior rim, while partially erased, appears to be a pseudo-inscription. The cursive naskhi inscription on the outside of the bowl also appears to be the repetition of the same word.
provenance
Dikran Kelekian, New York and Paris, [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1928, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
late 12th-early 13th century (Seljuq (?))
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
bowls (vessels)
imageCount
6
pageCount
6
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
6.6
height
15.6
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 2 5/8 x 6 1/8 in. (6.6 x 15.6 cm)
Source extras
med
fritware, white underglaze, with blue, turquoise, red, and black overglaze enamel
creator_ids
6768
collection_ids
none
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
93e0708c0d8ce085
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
77e90e28041df4ac
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
9cb44015f6146b8c
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
4
type
photo
mediaId
ecc723285e200426
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
5
type
photo
mediaId
45daedb8c1827df3
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
6
type
photo
mediaId
ba23c27ae80e61bb
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no