string(21) "edanmdm:fsg_F1909.130" Bowl - National Museum of Asian Art
Image 1 of 3
IIIF

Terms of Use

Usage Conditions Apply

At A Glance

  • Period

    early 13th century
  • Geography

    Iran
  • Material

    Stone-paste with underglaze painted decoration
  • Dimension

    H x W: 8.4 x 20.5 cm (3 5/16 x 8 1/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1909.130
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1909.130

Object Details

  • Description

    Clay: fairly hard, gray-white.
    Glaze: ivory-white, crazed.
    Decoration: in blue, green, gray, black, under glaze; touches of gold and black over glaze.
    Contains Inscriptions.
  • Inscriptions

    Around the inner rim is a band of ornamentation suggesting Kufic writing. Around the outer surface is a cursive Arabic inscription as follows: "Power eternal and Prosperity superabundant, and Victory triumphant, and Plenty enduring, and Majesty rising, and Power unabated, and ..., and Happiness... and Dominion, and Happiness and Health."
    Is not the inner rim inscription a still more careless rendering of the calligraphic design on the bowl 12.5, derived from Arabic "The Truth," and epithet of Allah?
    The central composition is enclosed by a Kufic band that repeats the word, or "the Truth".
    On the exterior there is a cursive inscription, bestowing the usual auspicious wishes: "Power eternal and prosperity superabundant and victory triumphant and plenty enduring and good fortune rising and undisputed power and... and happiness... and dominion and happiness and safety."
    The combination of the Kufic script inside with the cursive outside, and the messages themselves, seem to be the most common repertoire of inscriptions employed in the late twelfth and early thirteenth-century minai wares.
    Inscription:
    "al-i'zz al-dayim wa'l-igbal al-zayid wa'l-nasr al-ghalib wa'l-farr al-gayim wa'l-jadd al-sa'id wa'l-'umr al-salim wa'l...al-na'im wa'l...al-gasid wa'l-dawla wa'l-sa'ada wa'l-salama."
    "Eternal glory, ever-increasing good fortune, overwhelming victory, self-subsisting aura of glory, good luck, healthy life, easy..., ..., prosperity, happiness, and well-being."
    "Eternal glory, ever-increasing good fortune, overwhelming victory, self-subsisting aura of glory, good luck, healthy life, easy..., ..., prosperity, happiness, and well-being."
  • Provenance

    To 1909
    Dikran G. Kelekian (1868-1951), Paris, France to 1909 [1]
    From 1909 to 1919
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Dikran G. Kelekian, Paris, in 1909 [2]
    From 1920
    Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
    Notes:
    [1] See Original Pottery List, L. 1958, 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.
  • Collection

    Freer Gallery of Art Collection
  • Exhibition History

    Ceramics from the World of Islam (January 16, 1974 to July 1, 1974)
    Near Eastern Pottery and Persian Painting (May 2, 1923 to March 14, 1931)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Dikran Garabed Kelekian (1868-1951) (C.L. Freer source)
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
  • Origin

    Iran
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Charles Lang Freer
  • Type

    Vessel
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

    There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

    The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring