Plate with Ram

Detail of a pattern
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At A Glance

  • Period

    600-700
  • Geography

    Iran
  • Material

    Silver gilt; hammered, chased, and gilded
  • Dimension

    H x W x D (overall): 5.2 x 21.7 x 22 cm (2 1/16 x 8 9/16 x 8 11/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    S1987.115
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_S1987.115

Object Details

  • Description

    Most of the exterior is covered with green corrosion except for one section which has been cleaned. The head and body of the animal, made of two separately cast or hammered pieces, are now missing. Plate with a low ring foot, shallow fluted exterior, and plain rim. On the interior, originally added in relief, is a striding mouflon or ram in profile facing right, encircled by a grape and leaf scroll. A long fillet tied around the ram's neck ends in fluttering streamers. Weight: 443 g.
  • Provenance

    ?-1967
    Farhadi and Anavian Co. (active early 1960s-1973), New York, NY, method of acquisition unknown [1]
    1967-1987
    Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987), purchased from Farhadi and Anavian Co. in New York, NY [2]
    From 1987
    National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, gift of Dr. Arthur M. Sackler [3]
    Notes:
    [1] See the receipt from Farhadi and Anavian Co. to Dr. Arthur M. Sackler, dated June 15, 1967, copy in object file. This object is listed as the Farhadi and Anavian Co. object number 27. On the receipt the object is described as, “Sasanian Silver Plate (Design of Trees and Ibex in Center).” The Dr. Arthur M. Sackler object number inscribed on the receipt is S-260 (S stands for Silver).
    Farhadi and Anavian Co. (active early 1960s-1973) in New York, NY, was an importer and dealer of Islamic and southwest Asian art including ceramics, metalworks, sculptures, and archaeological objects. The Iranian dealers, Nourollah "Nuri" Farhadi (1903-1994) and Habib Anavian (1915-1995) established the firm in the early 1960s. In the 1970s, Anavian left the firm to establish his own business, Habib Anavian Galleries, Ltd. (active 1973-1993), in New York, NY. Clients of Farhadi and Anavian Co. included private collectors and he successfully placed works in the collections of the Cleveland Museum of Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
    [2] See note 1. Dr. Arthur M. Sackler was a physician, medical publisher, pharmaceutical marketer, and collector of Asian art.
    [3] Pursuant to the agreement between Arthur M. Sackler and the Smithsonian Institution, dated July 28, 1982, legal title of the donated objects was transferred to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery on September 11, 1987. This work is part of the Museum’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection.
    Research updated June 7, 2024
  • Collection

    Arthur M. Sackler Collection
  • Exhibition History

    Feast Your Eyes: A Taste for Luxury in Ancient Iran (February 4, 2012 - ongoing)
    The Shahnama: 1000 Years of the Persian Book of Kings (October 23, 2010 to April 17, 2011)
    Luxury Arts of the Silk Route Empires (May 9, 1993 to January 28, 2007)
    Nomads and Nobility: Art from the Ancient Near East (September 28, 1987 to November 1, 1992)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Farhadi and Anavian Co. (active early 1960s-1973)
    Dr. Arthur M. Sackler (1913-1987)
  • Origin

    Iran
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Arthur M. Sackler
  • Type

    Vessel
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

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