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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. This jug depicts a lively scene of musicians playing percussion instruments, possibly in a courtly setting. The inscription on the lower rim of the jug appears to be a repetition of the same word, while the kufic inscription near the jug’s opening is illegible.

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
27181
label
Jug with Four Seated Musicians
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
9
Source metadata
id
27181
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Jug with Four Seated Musicians
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. This jug depicts a lively scene of musicians playing percussion instruments, possibly in a courtly setting. The inscription on the lower rim of the jug appears to be a repetition of the same word, while the kufic inscription near the jug’s opening is illegible.
provenance
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
late 12th-early 13th century (Seljuq (?))
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Ceramics
jugs
imageCount
9
pageCount
9
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
13.3
height
15
depth
14.4
dimensionsRaw
H: 5 1/4 x W: 5 7/8 x D: 5 11/16 in. (13.3 x 15 x 14.4 cm)
Source extras
med
fritware ceramic, white underglaze, black, blue, green, pink, red, and white, overglaze enamel, traces of gilding
creator_ids
6747
collection_ids
ISL
exhibition_ids
none
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