Mina'i Beaker with Seated Princes

1180–1220

Iran, Kashan, Seljuq period of Iran

(1037–1194)

Medium

Fritware with overglaze design, mina’i ware

Measurements

Overall: 13.3 x 12.3 cm (5 1/4 x 4 13/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1917.977

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Location

116 Islamic

Did You Know?

A band of Kufic runs around the outside of the rim and another one is around the inside of the rim.

Description

Mina’i ware takes its name from the Persian word for enamel. It was a luxurious type of pottery and used enamel painting to create true polychrome ceramic for the first time. Mina’i ware frequently combines blues, greens, and purples with sharp black and red executed with precise control. Figural scenes are quite common for these vessels and often recall book illustrations including rows of seated court members, sometimes flanking an enthroned ruler, and princely scenes of hunting or falconry.