Chronology of Mina’i Ware based on in Scripted Samples*

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD Student of Restoration of Historical Objects, Isfahan University of Art, Isfahan, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Faculty of Restoration of Historical Objects, Isfahan University of Art, Isfahan, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Restoration of Historical Objects, Isfahan University of Art, Isfahan, Iran.

4 Director of National Museum of Iran, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

In medieval Islamic Persia, mina was known as a general term for enameling on metal, glass and ceramic. Consequently, in modern times mina’I is one of the most important types of Islamic ceramic production and identified by stone paste body and multicolored polychrome over-glazes which represent figural, geometric and floral designs as well as calligraphic perform. Additionally, mina’I wares are in some cases enlightened as gilded surface. The style can be found in numerous forms that include bowls, ewers, cups, beakers, jugs, inkstands and tiles. They are often referred to as “Haft-Rang”(seven-color) ceramics due to their polychromic character. The colors were red, brown, cobalt blue, green, black, white and gold. It was believed, until quite recently, that one of these seven colors, namely cobalt blue, was painted not over, but in the glaze, and all the others were painted over. It has been argued that their style and imagery are reflected from Islamic manuscript and wall paintings. Mina’I wares are very interesting to research not only in term of ceramic history, but in Islamic painting. Mina’I, indicates the relationship between pottery and calligraphy too. In addition in scripted ceramic with all their ability have an impact in good position for visual aesthetics as well as for conveying information. The dates and names written on it, is one of the most important documents that is also provided historical and authenticity background. Much of our current understanding of minai techniques, and of medieval Islamic ceramic technology in general, comes from the only known treatise was written in 1301A.D (700 A.H) by Abul’-Qasim Kashani, which is stated that the “seven-colored technology passed into oblivion” by the time of the treatise. The purpose of this study is to determine the chronology of mina’I wares that have been confirmed by the researchers or the famous museums. The results indicate that mina’I wares with dates were produced between 575 and 616 AH during the end of Seljuk and all of kharazmshahid period. Suggested production locals for mina’Iare Sava, Rayy and Kashan. While stylistic arguments have been developed the classification of objects to each of these sites but there is little archaeological evidence to support any of the claims. Results on Inscriptions on mina’I bowls point toward the city of Kashan, a leading ceramic center during this period, as their place of manufacture. Furthermore, according to the signature on pottery, the most famous potter in medieval Persia is Abu Zayd Kashani. His manuscript contains complete information includes the names and dates of works construction. Some mina’I signatures pointed also out four tasks such as, making the bowls, painting enamel, scribing and narrating verses. This procedures indict that, probably Master Abu Zayd Kashani has done his works without requiring the other artisans help or even in a specific and personal workshop and away from the other ceramists’ sight. The study focuses on literature review and observing the visual samples. The historical range of the sample and reading the inscriptions evaluate the descriptive-analytical methods.

Keywords

References

بلر، شیلا (1391)، جست‌وجوی ابوزید کاشانی میان کتیبه‌ها، پیام بهارستان، ترجمه: صفورا فضل اللهی، شماره 17، صص413- 388. بهرامی، مهدی (1327)، صنایع ایران، ظروف سفالین، دانشگاه تهران، تهران.
پاکباز، رویین (1379)، نقاشی ایران از دیرباز تاکنون، انتشارات نارستان، تهران.
پوپ، آرتور اپهام (1387)، شاهکارهای هنر ایران، جلد چهارم، ترجمه و اقتباس: پرویز ناتل خانلری، انتشارات علمی و فرهنگی، تهران. توحیدی، فائق (1379)، فن و هنر سفالگری، انتشارات سمت، تهران.
جوهری نیشابوری، محمدبن ابی البرکات (1383)، جواهرنامه نظامی، به کوشش ایرج افشار، انتشارات میراث مکتوب، تهران.
دهخدا، علی اکبر (1334)، لغت نامه (بخش سوم)، انتشارات دانشگاه تهران، تهران.
فریر، ر. دبلیو (1374)، هنرهای ایران، ترجمه: پرویز مرزبان، انتشارات فرزان روز، تهران.
کاشانی، ابوالقاسم عبدالله (1386)، عرایس الجواهر و نفایس الاطایب، بکوشش ایرج افشار، نشر المعی، تهران.
کامبخش فرد، سیف ا... (1389)، سفال و سفالگری در ایران از ابتدای نوسنگی تا دوران معاصر، انتشارات ققنوس، تهران.
کریمی، فاطمه و کیانی، محمد یوسف (1364)، هنر سفالگری دوره اسلامی ایران، ارشاد اسلامی، تهران.
کریمی، فاطمه (1370)، دائرةالمعارف بزرگ اسلامی، زیر نظر کاظم موسوی بجنوردی، جلد5، مرکز دائرة المعارف بزرگ اسلامی، تهران. کلاگ، جی (1355)، سیری در صنایع دستی ایران، ترجمه حمید عنایت، انتشارات بانک ملی، تهران.
گروبه، ج. ارنست (1384)، سفالهای اسلامی، گردآوری: ناصر خلیلی، ترجمه فرناز حائری، جلد 7، کتابخانه ملی ایران، تهران.
زکی. محمد حسن (1388)، هنر در روزگار اسلامی ایران، ترجمه محمد ابراهیم اقلیدی، انتشارات صدای معاصر، تهران.
مسعود، ابراهیم (1376)، دائرهالمعارف سرامیک، انتشارات نوید شیراز، شیراز.
واتسون، الیور (1382)، سفال زرین‌فام ایرانی، ترجمه شکوه ذاکری، انتشارات سروش، تهران.
Aga-Oglu, M (1946), The Origin of the Term Mina and Its Meanings, Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 241-256.
Aga-Oglu, Mehmet(1933), A Mina'i Bowl of the Late Tenth Century, The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs, Vol. 62, No. 362, pp 209-212.
Bahrami, Mehdi (1944), A Master-Potter of Kashan, Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, No 20, pp. 35-40. Bernsted, Anne Marie Keblow (2003), Early Islamic Pottery Materials And Techniques, Archetype, 1ST edition, London. Blair, S Sheila, Bloom Jonathan M (1999), Signatures on Works of Islamic Art and Architecture, Damaszener Mitteilungen, No 11, pp 49-69.
Blair, S. Sheila (1986), A Medieval Persian Builder, Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, No 45, pp. 389-395. Blair, Sheila S (2008), A Brief Biography of Abu Zayd, Muqarnas: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World, XXV, pp. 155-176.
De Lapérouse, Jean-Francois, Stamm, K. and Parry, V (2007), Re-examination and Treatment of Mina'i Ceramics at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’, Glass and Ceramic Conservation 2007, Interim meeting of the ICOM-CC Working Group, August 27-30, Nova Gorica, Slovenia, pp. 112-119.
Fehérvári, Geza (2000), Ceramics of the Islamic World, In the Tareq Rajab Museum, I. B. Tauris.
Grube, Ernst J (1976), Islamic Pottery of the 8th to the 15th Century in the Keir Collection, Faber & Faber, London. Hillenbrand, Robert (1994), The relationship between book painting and luxury ceramics in 13th-century Iran, Costa Mesa, Mazda Publishers, Calif.
Holod, Renata (2012), The Freer Mina’i Siege Plate. A Study on Patronage and Production, Islamic Art, No 4, PP 194-219. Koeppe, Wolfram; Le Corbeiller, Clare; Rieder, William; Truman, Charles (2012), The Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Volume XV, Decorative Arts, Princeton University Press, Princton.
Koss, Kerith et al (2009), Analysis of Persian Painted Minai Ware, in Scientific Research on Historic Asian Ceramics, Proceedings of the Fourth Forbes Symposium at the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C , PP. 33-47.
Lane, Arthur (1947), Early Islamic Pottery: Mesopotamia, Egypt and Persia, Faber & Faber, London.
Mason, Robert. B Tite, M. S (1997), The beginnings of tin-opacification of pottery glazes, Archaeometry, Volume 39, Issue 1, PP. 41-58.
Mason, Robert B (2004), Shine like the Sun: Lustre-Painted and Associated Pottery from the medieval Middle East, Bibliotheca Iranica, Islamic Art and Architecture.
Michelsen, Leslee (2012), Telling Tales: Narrative Discourse and Mina’i Pottery, http://www.qma.org.qa/en/ /ohanah/telling-tales-narrative-discourse-and-minai-pottery-1 (Access 24/4/2012)
Pancaroqlu, Oya (2007), Medieval Islamic Ceramics from the Harvey B. Plotnick Collection, Yale University Press, Chicago, New Haven.
Pope, Arthur Upham (1936), A Signed Kashan Mina'i Bowl, The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs, Vol. 69, No. 403 , PP. 144-147.
Pope, Arthur Upham (1938), A survey of Persian art from prehistoric times to the present, Oxford University Press, London and New York.
Smith, Dylan (2001), Considering the colors of minai ware, Met Objectives, Vol 3, No 1, PP. 9-12.
Unknown Author: Anderson Galleries, Inc (1915), A collection of ancient Chinese and Persian porcelain and pottery, Anderson Auction Company, New York.
Watson, Oliver (1982), Documentary Mina’i and Abu Zaid’s Bowls, in ed. R. Hillenbrand, Art of the Saljuqs in Iran and Anatolia, Costa Mesa, Mazda Publisher, PP. 169-180, Calif.
Wen, Rui. Pollard, Mark (2014), The pigments applied on the Mina’i wares and the correlation with Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, Archaeometry, ??????
Wiet, Gaston (1933), L’Exposition persane de 1931, l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale,
????.  http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/460367 (تاریخ دسترسی: 3 سپتامبر، 2014) http://shangrilahawaii.org/Islamic-Art-at-Shangri-La/Search-The-Collection/(تاریخ دسترسی، 3 سپتامبر، 2014)) http://topkapisarayi.gov.tr/en/collection?page=1(تاریخ دسترسی، 8 سپتامبر، 2014)
Journal of Fine Arts: Visual Arts
Volume 20, Issue 3 - Serial Number 3
February 2016
Pages 45-56

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics