We are a part of eBay Affiliate Network, and if you make a purchase through the links on our site we earn affiliate commission.
Whether it’s a ceramic vase, a silver cigarette case, or an inlaid copper bowl, Persian decorative objects are famous for their botanical and geometric patterns and richly ornamental calligraphy. Often these elements are intricately entwined,...
Continue reading
Whether it’s a ceramic vase, a silver cigarette case, or an inlaid copper bowl, Persian decorative objects are famous for their botanical and geometric patterns and richly ornamental calligraphy. Often these elements are intricately entwined, producing arabesques that appear to repeat endlessly, suggesting both the human form bent in prayer and the infiniteness of the universe—and, by extension, God. Though the word “Persia” is often used to describe the present-day Iran, historically, Persian empires have extended west to Libya, north to Turkey, and east to Pakistan. Even when Persia was vanquished, as it was by Turkish armies in the 11th century, Persian customs, as well as the language itself, had profound influences on their conquerors. Thus, Persian decorative styles and motifs, including leaves, pomegranates, and peacocks, found their way onto objects far beyond the modern borders of Iran. Of course, the opposite is also true, especially when it comes to Chinese influences, as Persia and China were trading with each other as early as the 2nd century BC, when the first contacts between the two empires were made via what would become known as the Silk Road. After the establishment of Islam in the 7th century, the predominance of motifs taken from the natural world were encouraged by the aesthetics of the new religious order, which frowned on figuration, lest it be mistaken for idolatry. Centuries later, as the Renaissance elevated the importance of paintings in the West, decorative objects such as blown glass, thrown pottery, rugs, textiles, and metalware remained the primary conveyances for the highest forms of Persian art. Persian and Middle-Eastern ceramics are a particularly interesting story. In the 9th century, a type of pottery known as fritware first appeared in Iraq. Subsequently perfected in Egypt, fritware was an attempt to mimic the finest porcelain being produced in China. To achieve the porcelain effect, fritware included ground glass...
Continue reading

Best of the Web

Gotheborg.com
Jan-Erik Nilsson's extensive reference on antique Chinese porcelain. Jam-packed with information...
Asian Art Museum
You can get happily lost searching through the 10,000 or so objects on the Asian Art Museum's...
Most Watched

Best of the Web

Gotheborg.com
Jan-Erik Nilsson's extensive reference on antique Chinese porcelain. Jam-packed with information...
Asian Art Museum
You can get happily lost searching through the 10,000 or so objects on the Asian Art Museum's...