DavidsSamlingGennem24År

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”.

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 « .

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