|
Sotheby's catalogue
description: Arts of the Islamic World lot 97
Sale L02220 lot 97
A Safavid blue and white pottery bottle vase
Persia, 17th century
London, Bond Street 6,000—8,000 GBP
Session 1
25 Apr 02 10:30 AM
MEASUREMENTS
52.8cm.
DESCRIPTION
the bulbous body on a broad slightly splayed
foot, tapering to a tall narrow neck, decorated
in underglaze blue with chinoiserie floral motifs
and a scene of two jackals facing one another
within reed-like branches This lot contains 1
item(s).
The large and impressive vase is reminiscent of a
form of pottery depicted in miniature painting of
the period. The decoration follows a largely
Chinese inspiration but the artist has added a
patently Islamic element in what seems to be a
scene from the Bidpai fable Kalila wa Dimna. One
of the two jackals has his mouth open and appears
to be talking to the other animal. The depiction
is close to that adopted in illustrated
manuscripts of this text for the scene of Dimna
and Kalila discussing the oxen, Shanzabah (Grube
1992, p.331, figs.13A and 13B, and Atil 1981,
p.83, fig.31). The reed-like branches also seem
to derive their form from an illustration. They
are very similar to the foliage depicted in
Arabic illustrated manuscripts, including copies
of Kalila wa Dimna. Hence it would suggest that
the decorator of this vase found his inspiration
in an Arabic, rather than a Persian,
illustration.
Picture and Information from www.Sothebys.com
|
