Description:

Lot 106. A RARE MINA’I POTTERY BOWL
Central Iran, Circa 1200

Of shallow rounded form on a short foot, the bowl is painted in polychrome enamels and gilt over a white glaze with a finely composed courtly scene. At the centre, a richly caparisoned blue elephant carries a seated noblewoman beneath a green canopy, flanked by two attendants. The figures are rendered with delicate linear outlines and coloured in tones of cobalt blue, turquoise, manganese, green, and red, their garments patterned with floral motifs. The elephant’s trappings are detailed in red and white scrollwork, lending a sense of movement and ceremonial grandeur. Around the interior runs a cobalt-blue band inscribed in white Kufic script, bordered by fine red and black lines.

The reverse is glazed in an ivory tone with a single concentric band of black inscription near the rim. The glaze shows characteristic fine crackling and areas of slight surface wear, revealing the cream ceramic body beneath.

Mina’i ware represents one of the most refined achievements of medieval Persian ceramic art, combining intricate enamel painting with calligraphic and figural decoration. Such bowls were likely intended for courtly use or display, embodying the elegance and narrative richness of the Seljuk artistic tradition.



Diameter: 15.5cm

Height: 6cm

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November 4, 2025 1:00 PM GMT
London, United Kingdom

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