{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O8927"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O8927/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AG4291/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AG4291/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AG4291","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AF6918","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O8927/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O8927","accessionNumber":"C.162-1977","objectType":"Bowl","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"In many Islamic societies, scenes containing humans and animals were a common type of decoration in non-religious contexts. The source of this imagery was usually poetry, the most highly esteemed form of secular literature. \r\n\r\nLuxury copies of narrative poems were often illustrated with fine paintings, and the more familiar episodes were depicted on palace walls and objects. Love lyrics accompanied portrayals of beautiful young men and women. Odes in praise of the ruler inspired enthronement scenes. The recitation of poems at court was depicted, as were princely activities such as hunting and playing polo.\r\n\r\nIn the poetry recited at such entertainments, the gazelle was often a metaphor for elusive beauty. Appropriately, the gazelle on this bowl is surrounded by Persian verses.","physicalDescription":"Fritware bowl with decoration in lustre highlighted with cobalt. The center of the bowl features a long-legged gazelle by a stream inhabited by two fish, while the cavetto has verses inscribed in lustre on a white background and the rim features verses in white on a lustre ground.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"fritware","id":"x29419"}],"techniques":[{"text":"lustre-painted","id":"x36217"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Fritware, with lustre decoration","categories":[{"text":"Ceramics","id":"THES48982"},{"text":"Islam","id":"THES48932"}],"styles":[{"text":"Islamic","id":"x29301"},{"text":"Saljuq","id":"x30243"},{"text":"pre-Mongol","id":"x30244"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"MES","id":"THES48607"},"images":["2006AG4291","2006AF6918"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"42","id":"THES49806"},"free":"","case":"WE7","shelf":"2","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Bowl","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Kashan","id":"x30242"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1220","earliest":"1215-01-01","latest":"1224-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":""},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Mr C. N. Ades MBE in memory of his wife Andrée Ades","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"22.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"The Nu'man tulip takes its colour from your cheek!\r\nThe speaking parrot learns to take the sugar from your two ruby-coloured lips.\r\nJealous of the splendour of your face, the full-moon of the fourteenth night bites its finger.","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Text of a quatrain in Persian, written in lustre on white in the cavetto, twelve o'clock to seven o'clock"},{"content":"کاتبه محمد بن محمد النیشابوری المقیم بقاشان ","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"The writer of [these words] is Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nayshaburi, who is resident in Qashan.","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Text in Arabic, written in lustre on white in the cavetto, nine o'clock to twelve o'clock"},{"content":"برکت لصاحبه","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Blessings to its owner","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Short text in Persianized Arabic written in lustre on white in the cavetto, eight to nine o'clock."}],"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":"This bowl was found at Jurjan, in north-east Iran, but was certainly made in Kashan. It feature many of the diagnostic elements of the fully-developed ‘Kashan style’, in which wares made throughout the thirteenth century were decorated. These include its conical shape and the use of underglaze blue for details. However, it also bears the signature of the potter Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nishapuri (from Nishapur), “residing at Kashan”. The main decoration features a long-legged gazelle by a stream, which is surrounded by two concentric bands containing quatrains of Persian poetry on the theme of love.","briefDescription":"Bowl with lustre-painted representation of a gazelle by a stream surrounded by Persian verses, Iran (Kashan), ca. 1220.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Watson, Oliver. Persian Lustre Ware. London: Faber and Faber, 1985.","id":"AUTH407108"},"details":"Colour Plate G, pp. 41, 43, 93, 98, 104, 108, 181","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Tim Stanley (ed.), with Mariam Rosser-Owen and Stephen Vernoit, <i>Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Middle East</i>, London, V&A Publications, 2004","id":"AUTH351313"},"details":"pp.83, 88, 91, 92, 122","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Mehdi Bahrami, <u>Gurgan Faiences</u>, Cairo, 1949, p. 127 no. 3."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Watson, O.<i> A Syrian Bull,</i>Apollo,Feb. 1981 (in object file)"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"gazelle","id":"x35176"},{"text":"fish","id":"x30068"},{"text":"streams","id":"AAT8699"},{"text":"animals","id":"x30274"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Jameel Gallery \n\n10–12 Dish and Bowls\r\nIran, probably Kashan\r\n1180–1220\r\n\r\nOn each vessel, a single image is accompanied by verses in Persian concerned with frustrated love. The figures depicted stand for those who are loved but who do not love in return.\r\n\r\nOn the lustre dish, a young prince rides out to play polo. The first bowl shows one youth offering another a glass of wine, while his companion watches. \r\n\r\nThe gazelle on the second bowl is a metaphor for elusive beauty, which flees as the huntsman approaches. \r\n\r\n12 Fritware with lustre over and colour in the glaze. Signed by Muhammad son of Muhammad Nishapuri in Kashan\r\nMuseum no. C.162-1977\r\nGiven by Mr C.N. Ades, MBE, in memory of his wife, Andrée Ades\r\n","date":{"text":"Jameel Gallery","earliest":"2006-07-20","latest":null}},{"text":"BOWL\r\nWhite earthenware painted in lustre.\r\nInscribed: \"Written by Muhammad, a man of Nishapur, residing at Kashan\".\r\nFound at Jurjan.\r\nPERSIAN (Kashan); early 13th century.\r\nGiven by Mr.C.N.Ades MBE in memory of his wife Andree Ades.","date":{"text":"Old label","earliest":null,"latest":"2003-11-30"}}],"partNumbers":["C.162-1977"],"accessionNumberNum":"162","accessionNumberPrefix":"C","accessionYear":1977,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LR1690","2019LP5505","2019LU9767","2019LW4578"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-03-25","recordCreationDate":"1998-09-01","availableToBook":false}}