Large Incised Bronze Ewer, 12th Century CE - 13th Century CE
Bronze
8 x 16
FF.126
“Glance at the ewer which everyone praises; it is worthy to be of service to such an honoured person as you” Extract from poem on similar vessel on display in...
“Glance at the ewer which everyone praises; it is worthy to be of service to such an honoured person as you”
Extract from poem on similar vessel on display in Tiflis Museum in Georgia. Large, cast bronze ewer with chased and incised decoration; flaring-vertical sides, fluted in section, rise up from tall, concave-sided foot-ring through broad, flat shoulder to cylindrical neck with pierced spout and thin, rectangular-sectioned handle. Kufic inscription to shoulder against scrolled ground with series of lotus above; second and third inscription to upper and lower body, reading ..., similarly against scrolled ground; each lobe of the body has a bird within pedestaled roundel with volute-finial; feline procession to upper shoulders; highly-stylised lion with stippled mane and incised feline detailing to spout. The condition is excellent; the piece is intact, with just some minor losses and earth deposits.
This piece marks the moment of the dissolution and advent of empires in Central Asia. The Seljuks were a Turkic-Persian dynasty of nomadic descent that had governed vast areas of the region from mid - close of 11th century; henceforth the empire was broken up into different factions of the same dynasty until the Mongol invasion of AD 1220 ushered in yet another new era.
While these factions operated within their own distinct matrix of political affiliation, devotional expression and cultural identity, metalwork seemed to transcend the political twists and turns and remained fairly unchanged over the centuries, yet bowed to Persian, Islamic and Central Asian influences along the way.
Under the Seljuk helm, metalwork is carried to new heights. Existing forms and techniques are enriched by the appropriation of influences across a vast geographic area.
The influence of Persian metalwork on Islamic wares manifests following the fall of the last Persian Empire and advent of Islam in A.C.E 651. The use of roundels filled with birds and the feline procession find clear predecessors in Sassanian metalwork.
The felines may be viewed as connotations of the hunt and more broadly, the princely cycle. A popular theme in art, these scenes – likely derived from Islamic manuscripts – become symbols of the good things here on earth. The preserve of the mid-upper classes, the hunt is a rather befitting theme for such an imposing object. If we consider the exalted importance of utilitarian metalwork objects in Islamic culture, one gets an idea of the sense of prestige in owning such a vessel.
The lion, as seen at the neck, was conceived as a heraldic symbol in ancient Persia from where it was most likely borrowed. Again, it is rather in keeping with this interpretation of these motifs as expressions of restricted privileges.
Owing to the emphasis placed on writing in the Qu’ran, inscriptions have a prominent place in the culture of the Islamic world. This transpired to an ardent desire for everyday objects ornamented with inscriptions. While the Seljuks spoke Farsi and a Turkic language, the choice of Arabic here denotes a desire to emulate the preceding Arab states. The vegetal ground against which the characters are presented reflect the perpetual nature and movement of the universe. Some scholars have argued that in view of their abstract form and possibility to extend them indefinitely, they may be interpreted as metaphors for the infiniteness of God. 8th and 9th century poems (by Musawir al Warraq and Ibn Qutayba respectively) reveal an early link between utilitarian vessels and poetry. Ibn Qutayba wrote extensively on the subject of gastronomy and devoted poems to cooking-pots, serving dishes and bowls. These poems may well illuminate the impetus behind inscribing ceramic wares with inscriptions.
A small group of similarly-shaped ewers have been assigned a provenance of Herat. They are thought to have contained water for washing.
Cf. "Ewer [Iran, Khurasan] (44.15)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/44.15 (July 2011)
Extract from poem on similar vessel on display in Tiflis Museum in Georgia. Large, cast bronze ewer with chased and incised decoration; flaring-vertical sides, fluted in section, rise up from tall, concave-sided foot-ring through broad, flat shoulder to cylindrical neck with pierced spout and thin, rectangular-sectioned handle. Kufic inscription to shoulder against scrolled ground with series of lotus above; second and third inscription to upper and lower body, reading ..., similarly against scrolled ground; each lobe of the body has a bird within pedestaled roundel with volute-finial; feline procession to upper shoulders; highly-stylised lion with stippled mane and incised feline detailing to spout. The condition is excellent; the piece is intact, with just some minor losses and earth deposits.
This piece marks the moment of the dissolution and advent of empires in Central Asia. The Seljuks were a Turkic-Persian dynasty of nomadic descent that had governed vast areas of the region from mid - close of 11th century; henceforth the empire was broken up into different factions of the same dynasty until the Mongol invasion of AD 1220 ushered in yet another new era.
While these factions operated within their own distinct matrix of political affiliation, devotional expression and cultural identity, metalwork seemed to transcend the political twists and turns and remained fairly unchanged over the centuries, yet bowed to Persian, Islamic and Central Asian influences along the way.
Under the Seljuk helm, metalwork is carried to new heights. Existing forms and techniques are enriched by the appropriation of influences across a vast geographic area.
The influence of Persian metalwork on Islamic wares manifests following the fall of the last Persian Empire and advent of Islam in A.C.E 651. The use of roundels filled with birds and the feline procession find clear predecessors in Sassanian metalwork.
The felines may be viewed as connotations of the hunt and more broadly, the princely cycle. A popular theme in art, these scenes – likely derived from Islamic manuscripts – become symbols of the good things here on earth. The preserve of the mid-upper classes, the hunt is a rather befitting theme for such an imposing object. If we consider the exalted importance of utilitarian metalwork objects in Islamic culture, one gets an idea of the sense of prestige in owning such a vessel.
The lion, as seen at the neck, was conceived as a heraldic symbol in ancient Persia from where it was most likely borrowed. Again, it is rather in keeping with this interpretation of these motifs as expressions of restricted privileges.
Owing to the emphasis placed on writing in the Qu’ran, inscriptions have a prominent place in the culture of the Islamic world. This transpired to an ardent desire for everyday objects ornamented with inscriptions. While the Seljuks spoke Farsi and a Turkic language, the choice of Arabic here denotes a desire to emulate the preceding Arab states. The vegetal ground against which the characters are presented reflect the perpetual nature and movement of the universe. Some scholars have argued that in view of their abstract form and possibility to extend them indefinitely, they may be interpreted as metaphors for the infiniteness of God. 8th and 9th century poems (by Musawir al Warraq and Ibn Qutayba respectively) reveal an early link between utilitarian vessels and poetry. Ibn Qutayba wrote extensively on the subject of gastronomy and devoted poems to cooking-pots, serving dishes and bowls. These poems may well illuminate the impetus behind inscribing ceramic wares with inscriptions.
A small group of similarly-shaped ewers have been assigned a provenance of Herat. They are thought to have contained water for washing.
Cf. "Ewer [Iran, Khurasan] (44.15)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/44.15 (July 2011)