A MINA’I POTTERY BOTTLE VASE, CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1200

A Persian pottery bottle vase, rising from a short foot to a compressed body tapering to thin cylindrical neck, with a garlic-head mouth and short upright mouth-rim. The white exterior painted in a variety of overglaze enamels with a series of crouching and kneeling figures, above a series of harpies, interspersed with polychrome cintamani roundels.

Height: 20 cm.

Provenance

Formerly Japanese collection, collected in the 1980-90s. Exhibited at: “Exhibition of Persian Art, London, 1931, n° 44(?)

Catalogue Note

Mina’i ware is a type of Persian pottery developed in Kashan Persia, in the decades leading up to the Mongol invasion of Persia in 1219, after which production ceased. It is significant as the first pottery to use overglaze enamels, painted over the ceramic glaze fixed by a main glost firing, after painting the wares were given a second firing at a lower temperature. “Mina’i”: a term only used for these wares much later, means “enamelled” in the Persian language.The technique is also known as haft-rang, “seven colours” in Persian. This was the term used by the near-contemporary writer Abu al-Qasim Kasani, who had a pottery background.

Estimate € 14.000 - € 18.000

Lot 67

AN ILLUMINATED QAJAR QURAN WRITTEN FOR ABDULLAH KHAN AMIR NIZAM QARAGOZLU, PERSIA, 1319 AH/1901 AD

Lot 93

A KASHAN LUSTRE POTTERY BOWL, PERSIA LATE 12TH/EARLY 13TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on paper, each folio with 14 lines of elegant black naskh script, interlinear Persian translation in red, gold and polychrome rosette verse markers outlined in black with blue dots, large gilt and polychrome floral marginal “juz’ and hizb” medallions, text within gold and polychrome rules, surah headings in large red thuluth script on a polychrome floral illuminated ground, occasional marginal commentary notes in black nasta’liq script, opening two bifolia fully illuminated in gold and polychrome framing 6ll. in clouds reserved against a gold sprinkled ground, at the top of each page the name of the corresponding surah in large thuluth script within a gilt floral leafy panel, end of the text with prayers and dedication.

A Persian pottery bowl with conical sides resting on a spreading foot, decorated with two figures on horseback on a leafy scrolls decorated ground, under the rim with a diaper band enclosing inscriptions in naskh script.

Diameter: 16 cm

Height: 8 cm

The final page signed ‘written by Muhammed Hasan Al-Hamadani in 13191H/1901AD. In gilt lacquer binding embellished with large flower heads amongst foliage. 22 by 33 cm.

Estimate € 12.000 - € 15.000

Estimate € 60.000 - € 80.000

Lot 68

AN OTTOMAN ILLUMINATED QURAN SCROLL, TURKEY, 19TH CENTURY

Arabic manuscript on paper in scroll form, written in black ghubar reserved in clouds on a gilt ground decorated with polychrome floral leafy sprays, gold and polychrome headpiece surah decoration, with leather headpiece. Large inscriptions in naskh script: surah Al-Imraan v. 07. Inscriptions in ghubar script: surah Al-Hajj.

15 by 115 cm.

Estimate € 2000 - € 3000

Lot 69

A Genealogy In Maghribi Script

NORTH AFRICA, DATED 1120 AH/1708 AD

Arabic manuscript on vellum, 35 lines written in black Maghribi script, catchwords in gilt ink outlined in black, gold verse rosette markers outlined in black and pointed in red, interlinear borders decorated with gilt floral leafy sprays on a blue ground, the margins decorated to the sides with red floral motifs and with a gilt and striking blue decoration at the top.

49 by 95 cm.

Catalogue Note

This manuscript outlined the genealogy of a certain Said ibn Abdul-Rahman ibn Jafar Omar. His line is traced through Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatimah, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. Dated on Jumadah I 1120 AH (Juli 1708 AD).

Estimate € 3000 - € 5000

Lot 70