Description:

: A RARE MINA'I POTTERY BOWL, CENTRAL IRAN, CIRCA 1200
Central Iran, circa 1200

Description:
A finely painted mina’i ware bowl of rounded form on a short foot with gently flaring sides. The interior is richly decorated with a seated princely figure flanked by attendants and dancers, all finely drawn in cobalt, turquoise, manganese, and green over a creamy slip ground. Birds and hanging oil lamps embellish the upper register, while a Persian inscription in elegant naskh encircles the rim. The exterior bears an additional Arabic inscription in black underglaze. A rare and visually engaging example of narrative figural painting in medieval Persian ceramics.

Dimensions:
Diameter: 19 cm
Height: 8.5 cm

Provenance:
With K. Fujishiro, Japan, by 1967
Acquired by Japanese trade until 2015, when purchased by the present owner

Comparable examples:

  • A mina’i pottery bowl depicting princely courtly scenes, Iran, circa 1200, sold at Christie’s, London, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 26 October 2023, Lot 44, for £119,700.

  • A similar mina’i bowl featuring seated figures and musicians, from Rayy, Iran, circa 12th–13th century, sold at Sotheby’s, London, Arts of the Islamic World, 1 May 2019, Lot 201, for £93,750.

  • A closely related mina’i bowl, Central Iran, late 12th century, decorated with dancers and Persian script, sold at Bonhams, London, Islamic and Indian Art, 15 October 2018, Lot 11, for £81,250.

Note:
Mina’i ware, literally “enameled” ware, emerged in late 12th-century Iran and represents one of the first successful attempts at overglaze painted decoration in the Islamic world. These wares are rare and often fragmentary; complete examples, especially with such narrative depth and figural complexity, are highly sought after. The princely iconography and lyrical inscriptions highlight the poetic and courtly culture of late Seljuk Iran.

 

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
London, United Kingdom

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