DavidsSamlingGennem24År

6 /1 9 7 8 F a d

K in a 15. -1 6 . å r h u n d re d e , P e rs ie n 18. -1 9 . å r h u n d

re d e

P o rc e læ n m e d c e la d o n g la s u r. H :9 ,3 , D ia m :4 8 ,5

M u s e e t e r i b e s id d e ls e a f e n lille s a m lin g k in e s is k e

b r o n z e r o g p o rc e læ n e r, s o m e n te n v e d d e re s f o r m

e lle r d e re s in d s k r if te r v ise r, at d e v a r b e r e g n e t fo r

d e t is la m is k e m a r k e d . D e t a fb ild e d e fa d tilh ø r e r

ik k e i e g e n tlig f o r s ta n d d e n n e g r u p p e , m e n e r s o m

d e n n e e t v id n e s b y r d o m d e n liv lig e h a n d e ls f o r b in

d e lse , d e r a ltid v a r m e lle m d e n fje rn e o g n æ re

O r ie n t.

K in e s is k e c e la d o n v a re r v a r m e g e t e f te r s p u r g te i

d e is la m is k e la n d e , o g p e rs e rn e s ø g te at e fte rlig n e

d e m , d o g u d e n a t le v e o p til fo rb ille d e rn e . I T o p -

k a p u S e ra il i I s ta n b u l k a n m a n se o v e r 130 0 c e la -

d o n e r , s o m v a r d e ty r k is k e s u lta n e rs e je n d o m , o g

i S a fa v id e rn e s fa m ilie h e llig d o m i A r d e b il fin d e s

lig e le d e s e t s to r t a n ta l.

V o rt fa d , m e d d e n e le g a n t s k å rn e lo tu s , h a r sik

k e r t o g s å v æ re t b e r e g n e t s o m g a v e til e n fy rs te

e lle r til G u d - re p ræ s e n te re t g e n n e m e n re lig iø s

i n s titu tio n . H e r p å ty d e r d e p e rs is k e v e rs, s o m

h ø js t s a n d s y n lig t e r in d r id s e t o m k r in g 1800, læ n

g e e fte r a t fa d e t h a v d e f o rla d t d e k in e s is k e o v n e :

» O h K o n g e , k a s t d it n å d e fu ld e b lik p å m ig a rm e

m a n d / Se p å m in tils ta n d , tr æ t o g m e d k n u s t

h je rte / H v o r u v æ r d ig e r j e g ik k e til d in n å d e / Se

ik k e p å m ig , m e n p å d in e g e n g a v m ild h e d .« D e n

tr e d ie v e rs e lin je k a n o g s å læ ses så led e s: » H v o r u -

v æ r d ig e r j e g ik k e til at v æ re e n g a v e til d ig « o g i

d e n n e v e r s io n e r fa d e t a ltså d e n » ta le n d e « .

6/1978 Dish

China 15th-16th century, Persia i8th-i9th century.

Porcelain with celadon glaze. H:9.3, Diam:48.5

The Museum possesses a small collection of Chinese

bronzes andporcelain which either by theirform or their

inscriptions show that they were destinedfor the Islamic

market. The dish illustrated does not strictly belong to

this group, but bears witness in the same way to the

lively trade relationships which always existed between

the Far and Near East.

Chinese celadon wares were much in demand in the

Islamic countries and the Persians tried to imitate them,

though without attaining the same standard. In Top-

kapu Serail in Istanbul can be seen over 1,300 items of

celadon ware that belonged to the Turkish sultans, and a

large number are also to befound in thefamily shrine of

the Safavids at Ardebil.

Our dish, with its elegantly carved lotus, was also no

doubt intended as a gift for a prince orfor God - repre

sented by a religious institution. This is indicated by the

Persian verse which in all likelihood was inscribed

around 1800, long after the dish had left the Chinese

kilns: “O King, let thy gracious gaze fall upon me, poor

man / Regard my condition, weary and broken-hearted

/ How unworthy I am of thy grace / Regard not me, but

thine own munificence.” The third line of the verse can

also be interpreted asfollows: “How unworthy am I not

to be a gift to thee”- and in this version the dish is thus

the “speaker”.