{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O166767"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O166767/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BT0567/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BT0567/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BT0567","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AN9533","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O166767/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O166767","accessionNumber":"C.49-1978","objectType":"Bowl","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This bowl is made from fritware (also called stone paste and quartz paste), an artificial ceramic body developed by Middle Eastern potters around the middle of the 11th century to imitate the hard, bright white body of imported Chinese porcelains. The main ingredient in fritware was fine quartz powder made by grinding sand or pebbles. Small quantities of white clay and a glassy substance known as frit were added – the clay to give plasticity, the frit to bind the body after firing. In the 12th and early 13th centuries, fritware was used in Kashan and other pottery centres in Iran to produce fine wares decorated in an astonishing range of styles. \r\n\r\nThis bowl is decorated with underglaze painting, which was another technique that was perfected in Iran at this time. It probably developed from earlier techniques of painting with slip, but the Kashan potters realised they could apply the slip very thinly, directly on to the ceramic body, which they did with extremely artistic results. The cobalt blue pigment was unstable and often ran during firing - the striped pattern minimises this effect because the lines just run into themselves.\r\n\r\nThis vessel was part of a hoard that was deliberately buried by its owner, probably a merchant who lived in Jurjan in north-east Iran, or who was passing through the city. In 1220, Jurjan was threatened by a Mongol invasion. The merchant packed the vessels in sand inside large storage jars and  buried them for safekeeping. Soon afterwards, Jurjan was completely destroyed by the Mongols, and the owner never returned to recover the hoard.\r\n\r\nAlthough burial preserved the ceramics from Jurjan for over seven centuries, the conditions were not ideal. Temperature and humidity changed repeatedly, and the pieces were packed in sand, which may have contained substances that corrode glaze. As a result, the glaze on this bowl has deteriorated in places. It has become iridescent, reflecting light like a rainbow. \r\n\r\nThe probable date of their burial also gives us a good indication of when the vessels in the hoard were made, as well as showing the wide variety of types of decoration that were used to make Iranian pottery at this time.","physicalDescription":"Fritware bowl decorated in stripes with cobalt blue pigment under a transparent glaze. The cobalt has run during the firing so the decoration is a bit blurred, especially towards the centre of the interior, where there is also what appears to be a small bird. The glazed surface is also very iridescent from burial, especially on the exterior.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Fritware painted in blue under a transparent glaze","categories":[{"text":"Islam","id":"THES48932"}],"styles":[{"text":"Seljuk","id":"AAT21736"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"MES","id":"THES48607"},"images":["2008BT0567","2006AN9533"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"145 (VA)","id":"THES49865"},"free":"","case":"35","shelf":"3","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Bowl","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Iran","id":"x30220"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1180-1220","earliest":"1180-01-01","latest":"1220-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Mr C.N. Ades, MBE, in memory of his wife, Andrée Ades","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"18.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"10.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This vessel was part of a hoard that was deliberately buried by its owner, probably a merchant who lived in Jurjan in north-east Iran, or who was passing through the city. In 1220, Jurjan was threatened by a Mongol invasion. The merchant packed the vessels in sand inside large storage jars and  buried them for safekeeping. Soon afterwards, Jurjan was completely destroyed by the Mongols, and the owner never returned to recover the hoard.As a result, the vessels in this hoard survived together for almost 800 years, and in relatively good condition.The probable date of their burial also gives us a good indication of when the vessels in the hoard were made, as well as showing the wide variety of types of decoration that were used to make Iranian pottery at this time.\r\n\r\nClement Ades gave a large number of objects found in the Jurjan hoard to the Victoria and Albert Museum at different times. Their object numbers are C.152 to 171-1977, and C.35 to 49-1978.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Ceramic; Fritware bowl decorated in stripes with cobalt blue pigment under a transparent glaze. Found at Jurjan. Iran, probably Kashan, before 1220.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>The Gurgan Finds</u> (London: Bluett and Sons Limited, 1976)"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Oliver Watson, \"Persian Wares\", <u>Connoisseur</u> (January 1979), pp.13-19"}],"production":"Probably Kashan","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["C.49-1978"],"accessionNumberNum":"49","accessionNumberPrefix":"C","accessionYear":1978,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-19","recordCreationDate":"2008-09-09","availableToBook":false}}