© Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 71:1949a,b


This item has been added to the Database within the Explore Islamic Art Collections project. Information is available in: English, Arabic.

Name of Object:

Covered Vessel with Relief Design of Arabic Inscription in Kufic Script

Location:

Saint Louis, United States of America

Holding Museum:

Saint Louis Art Museum

About Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis

Date of Object:

Hegira Late 2nd to late 4th / AD 10th century

Museum Inventory Number:

71:1949a,b

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Steatite

Dimensions:

Height with cover: 14.9cm; Diameter of cover: 21.9cm; Height of vessel without cover: 10.2cm; Diameter of mouth: 22.2cm; Width across handles: 24.8cm; Diameter of base: 22.2cm

Period / Dynasty:

Seljuq

Provenance:

Nishapur, Khorasan, Iran, Asia

Description:

A circular steatite vessel with a thin, flat lid with a vertical, eared wing handle that has a mushroom-shaped cut-out in the center. Around the exterior of the lid is a band of cross-hatching, and another band of the same width crossing the diameter of the lid. This band is also cross-hatched on one half, up to where it intersects with the handle, then becomes "transparent," filled only with the raised relief inscription beneath that covers the remaining surface of the lid.
The vessel has straight sides with an upper and lower border of cross-hatching, enclosing a relief band of inscription. The stone is carved to form an Arabic inscription in relief, in an angular script style known as Kufic. The tops of the taller letters end in leaves and flowers, a popular calligraphic device in the 10th century. On opposing sides of the vessel are bar-like handles with deep gouges on their outer edges. The area where each handle attaches to the vessel is bordered by cross-hatching.

How date and origin were established:

The stone is carved to form an Arabic inscription in relief, in an angular style known as kufic. The tops of the taller letters end in leaves and flowers, a popular calligraphic device in the 10th century.

How Object was obtained:

Museum Purchase, 1949

How provenance was established:

Steatite vessels such as this one were used for cooking in the 9th–10th centuries in the northeastern Iranian city of Nishapur. Many small steatite objects have been excavated, but this is the largest complete vessel known.

Citation of this web page:

 "Covered Vessel with Relief Design of Arabic Inscription in Kufic Script" in Explore Islamic Art Collections. Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;us;Mus24;20;en

MWNF Working Number: US4 20

RELATED CONTENT

 Artistic Introduction

Islamic Dynasties / Period

Seljuqs (Great Seljuqs)


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