DavidsSamlingGennem24År

2 2 /1 9 7 4 S k å l

N o r d ø s tlig e P e rs ie n , 10. å r h u n d re d e

R ø d lig le rs k æ r v d e k o r e r e t u n d e r g la s u re n m e d

h v id , b r u n o g rø d b e g itn in g . H :1 0 , D ia m :2 6 ,5

I d e t n o r d ø s tlig e P e rs ie n fre m s tille d e s i d e t 9. o g

. å r h u n d re d e k e r a m ik a f e n e n k e l k r a ft o g s k ø n

h e d , s o m n æ p p e e r se t sid e n . P å sk å le o g fa d e

d æ k k e t a f e n h v id b e g itn in g m a le d e p o tte m a g e r e

fra e g n e n o m k r in g N is h a p u r o g S a m a r k a n d m ø n

s tre , s o m p r im æ r t b e s to d a f d e n a ra b is k e k u f i-

s k rift. N o g e t k u n n e ty d e p å , at d e h e lt e n k le d e k o

r a tio n e r i m ø r k e b r u n t e r d e æ ld ste , m e n s m e re

e la b o re re d e s k r if tty p e r , s o m p å d e n a fb ild e d e sk å l

m e d b la d v æ r k o g fle re fa rv e r, e r lid t se n e re . D e r

fin d e s i ø v r ig t o g s å v a ria tio n e r , h v o r e n m ø r k e

b r u n b e g itn in g e r b a g g r u n d fo r h v id e d e k o r a tio

n e r, lig e s o m g rø n lig e fa rv e n u a n c e r f o r e k o m m e r .

I n d s k r if te r n e p å d e n n e ty p e k e ra m ik , s o m er

y d e r s t v e lr e p ræ s e n te r e t i m u s e e t, e r sv æ re a t læ se

p å g r u n d a f d e n s tilis e re d e f o rm . D e n e r i d e tte

tilfæ ld e ty d e t s o m : » D e n d e r tr o r p å p a g te n m e d

G u d e r g a v m ild m o d sin e u n d e r g iv n e « . A t s e n te n

s e rn e e r u d f ø r t i e n m e g e t s v æ rt o p fa tte lig k u fis k

k a llig ra fi s a n d s y n lig g ø r , a t a f ta g e r g r u p p e n h a r

v æ r e t d e n a ra b is k ta le n d e o v e rk la s s e ; d e lo k a le

k u n n e n æ p p e g læ d e sig o v e r a n d e t e n d d e n u n æ g

te lig p r a g tf u ld e g ra fis k e v ir k n in g .

22/1974 Bowl

Northeastern Persia, 10th century

Reddish clay body decorated under the glaze in white,

brown and red slip. H:10, Diam:26.5

Pottery of a simple vigour and beauty was made in

northeastern Persia during the 9th and 10th centuries

the like of which has hardly been seen since. On bowls

and dishes covered with a white slip, potters from the

region around Nishapur and Samarkand painted pat

terns based primarily on the Arabic Kufic script. It

would appear that the very simple decorations in dark

brown are the oldest, while the more elaborate types of

script - as on the bowl illustrated and incorporating

foliage and several colours - are a little later. Variants

are also known in which a dark brown slip forms the

background for white decorations, and greenish nuances

also occur.

Inscriptions on this type of pottery, which is well

represented in the Museum, are difficult to read on ac

count of the stylized form. In this case it has been inter

preted as: “He who believes in the covenant with God is

benevolent towards his dependants.” The fact that the

inscriptions are executed in Kufic calligraphy that is

very hard to interpret makes it probable that pottery of

this kind was made for the Arabic-speaking upper clas

ses. Such pleasure as the local inhabitants derived from

it must have been confined to the undeniably splendid

graphic effect.