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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. The combination of leisurely activities with more warrior-like occupations, such as hunting, was frequently used in the medieval Persian iconography of kingship. This is referred to as bazm wa razm, or feasting and fighting. This jug features five horsemen clad in blue robes. The upper rim of vessel features a white kufic pseudo-inscription against a blue background, whereas a naskhi inscription runs along the exterior of the handle.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
3437
label
Jug with Horsemen and Inscriptions
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
6
Source metadata
id
3437
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Jug with Horsemen and Inscriptions
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. The combination of leisurely activities with more warrior-like occupations, such as hunting, was frequently used in the medieval Persian iconography of kingship. This is referred to as bazm wa razm, or feasting and fighting. This jug features five horsemen clad in blue robes. The upper rim of vessel features a white kufic pseudo-inscription against a blue background, whereas a naskhi inscription runs along the exterior of the handle.
provenance
Henry Walters, Baltimore, [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
late 12th-early 13th century (Seljuq (?))
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
jugs
imageCount
6
pageCount
6
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
11
height
12.3
dimensionsRaw
H: 4 5/16 × Diam: 4 13/16 in. (11 × 12.3 cm)
Source extras
cul
Islamic
med
fritware, white underglaze, black, blue, green, and red overglaze enamel
creator_ids
6768
collection_ids
none
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
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1
type
photo
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a097cc27982ee951
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no
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seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
240f789684549f0a
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no
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no
seq
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type
photo
mediaId
4487daa5ab11d854
hasOcr
no
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no
seq
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type
photo
mediaId
2dad15d29fbe3bbf
hasOcr
no
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no
seq
5
type
photo
mediaId
a67c0e144eccff29
hasOcr
no
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no
seq
6
type
photo
mediaId
8b2a9ff326ac1b03
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no