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Turquoise bowl with eight sides

Iranian, 12th Century
Stoneware

This pottery bowl was made in Persia (modern day Iran) during the 12th century by craftsmen from a dynasty known as the Seljuk Turks. The Seljuks practiced the religion of Islam. The stamped relief decoration of two horsemen, however, shows the influence of a pre-Islamic culture, the Sassanian dynasty of 226-642 A.D. A pre-Islamic motif on an Islamic object reminds us that art can reflect how peoples of a given period may look to past civilizations with an interest in celebrating the ideals of that culture.

What exactly is the design on the bowl?

Eight panels with two alternating designs decorate the sides of the bowl. One of the designs is an image of two sphinxes facing each other. The other shows two figures on horses, facing each other and holding a ring or diadem between them. This image represents what is known as an investiture scene, a scene celebrating the legitimacy of royal power passing from god to king, depicted by the two figures on horses.

Fig. 1 - Investiture Scene on Chrysler Bowl: Ahura Mazda, the Zoroastrian god of fire, granting King Ardashir the royal diadem.
What was the technique used?

This stoneware, alkaline-glazed bowl was produced by pressing together two four sided molds. The decoration on the bowl resulted from pressing onto each side a panel with the design of the horsemen or the sphinxes. These panels were pressed onto the sides with wooden or fired clay stamps, making relief patterns. Alkaline glazes create a bright color effect of turquoise-blue (firuza) signifying good fortune. It is unclear whether the bowl was used for the practical function of drinking or pouring, or whether it was purely decorative.

Who were the Seljuks?

The Seljuks were a Turkish ethnic group that immigrated from the region of Bukhara in Central Asia down to Persia, where they settled. They became the sovereigns of Persia, Iraq, parts of Anatolia and most of Syria from the 11th-13th centuries. Despite their Turkish origin, the Seljuks showed a strong interest in all aspects of Persian culture.

 
  Fig. 2 Movement of Seljuks from central Asia through the Middle East, 11th-13th centuries. Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq).

What about the bowl makes us aware that an ancient non-Islamic culture was being celebrated?

The inspiration for the Sassanian investiture scene depicted on the bowl was a rock carving of two horsemen found at Naqsh-I Rustam, at Persepolis the ancient Sassanian capital. On the rock-carving Ahura Mazda, the Zoroastrian god of fire and creator of the universe, is granting the first Sassanian king, Ardashir I, a diadem. With the diadem, Ahura Mazda is investing Ardashir with royal legitimacy. This important image was reproduced on the ceramic bowl.

Why would the Seljuks put an image on their pottery of a dynasty long dead and gone?

The period of Seljuk rule in Iran was one in which there was a revival of ancient Persian literature and culture, and a celebration of the concepts associated with the royalty of the Sassanians. Although previous ruling classes in Persia were inspired by the Sassanian culture, it was the Seljuks who embraced it most fully. By using images of Sassanian royalty, the Seljuks were identifying themselves with the concepts of strength and leadership associated with these ancient rulers, thus legitimizing their own sovereignty.

- Mina Koochekzadeh

RESOURCES

Atil, Esin. Ceramics from the World of Islam. Washington: Smithsonian Institute, 1973.

Ettinghausen, Richard. "The Flowering of Seljuq Art." Islamic Art and Archaeology. Berlin: G. Mann Verlag, 1984.

Lane, Arthur. Early Islamic Pottery. London: Faber and Faber, 1967.

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