Dish

Dish, shallow bowl-form, on a deep foot. Repairs and plaster restorations.
Clay: hard, white.
Glaze: robin’s egg blue
Decoratoin: in red, black, gray, over glaze. Inscription.

Historical period(s)
Saljuq period, mid 13th century
Medium
Stone-paste with underglaze painted decoration
Dimensions
H x W: 8.8 x 20.5 cm (3 7/16 x 8 1/16 in)
Geography
Iran
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1909.112
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Dish

Keywords
Iran, Saljuq period (1037 - 1300)
Provenance

To 1909
Tabbagh Frères, Paris, to 1909 [1]

From 1909 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Tabbagh Frères in 1909 [2]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] See Original Pottery List, L. 1955, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

[2] See note 1.

[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Tabbagh Frères (C.L. Freer source)
Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919

Description

Dish, shallow bowl-form, on a deep foot. Repairs and plaster restorations.
Clay: hard, white.
Glaze: robin's egg blue
Decoratoin: in red, black, gray, over glaze. Inscription.

Inscription(s)

On the outer edge is a cursive Arabic inscription similar to that on no. S.I. 1347 [09.130] as follows:
[Arb]
"Prosperity superabundant, and Victory triumphant, and Plenty enduring, and Majesty rising, Plenty, and Prosperity, and Dominion, and Happiness, and Health, and Honor, and Power, and ..., and Might, and ..., Eternal Power!"
(See Curatorial Remark number 4)

Inscript: [Arb]
"al-'izz al-dayim wa'l-igbal al-zayid wa'l-nasr al-ghalib wa'l-farr al-gayim wa'l-jadd al-sa'id * al-'izz wa'l-igbal wa'l-dawla wa'l-sa'ada wa'l-salama wa'l-karama wa'l-ghudda (?) wa'l-minna (?) wa'l-'azama wa'l-... li-sahibih."

"Eternal glory, and ever-lasting good fortune, and overwhelming victory, and self-subsisting aura of glory, and good luck. Glory, good fortune, prosperity, happiness, good health, nobility, [good] poretion, favor, greatness, and ... to the owner."
(See Curatorial Remark number 10)

The exterior has a band of cursive Arabic inscription which employs the popular phrases observed in several other examples:
[arbc]
And prosperity superabundant and victory triumphant and power enduring and good fortune rising and power and prosperity and dominion and happiness and safety and generosity and power and ... might and ... power eternal.
(See Curatorial Remark number 11)

Published References
  • Dr. Esin Atil. Ceramics from the World of Islam. Exh. cat. Washington, 1973. cat. 43, pp. 98-99.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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