DOI issue:
Nr. 1-2
DOI article:Majda, Tadeusz: The Musilm magical-medicinal Bowl in the Collections of the National Museum in Warsaw
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18945#0080
favorus), al-Basit (He who expends), al-‘Alim (All-knowing), as-Sami (The
Hearer) which is repeated two times, and moreover the sura name/title Miri-
am-Kaf-ya-ayn-sad, an invocation: Ya Wadud (Oh, The very Toving), Tasm (the
name given to country- and townspeople), the word hamr (wine) and ‘ishq
(love).
The inscriptions are composed of Koranic verses, the most important of
which are: Al-Fatiha, sura III (v. 256-’60), XT (v. 1-4)), TX (v. 13), XXI (v.
87-’8), and also: the innvocation to Ali and litany of the Fourteen Innocents
(.Shahadah ma’sum), comprising the names of the Prophet and of Ali’s entire
family (the 12 Imams) (Fatima’s name is missing in the litany).
The rosettes also depict the Sun and Moon, Venus imagined as a harpist,
Jupiter as a man with outstretched arms, Mercury portrayed as a scribe and
Mars personified as a five-armed man. Saturn, depicted as having seven arms
and seated with a crown on his head, is placed in the mendiscus holding a loaf
of bread, a cup, scythe, birch stick/twig and dog. These attributes symbolise the
stages of human life from birth to death.12
The bowl’s exterior surface between the rim and the base is also divided in-
to three bands. The upper and lower bands contain twelve rosettes with depic-
tions of the twelve zodiac signs and are filled in with small floral ornamenta-
tion and twisting motifs. The lower part of the edge and external part of the
base are covered with small nashi letters. The rim contains an inscription with
the names of the Shiite imams. The hollow below the meniscus contains
a square with the four repeating epithets of Allah: Sami’, Alim, Nafi’, Basit.
judging by the standard of decorative elaboration and engraving of the let-
ters and figurai representations, the bowl belonging to the collections of the
National Museum in Warsaw should be recognised as one of the highest
achievemnets of metal arts and crafts coming out of Safawid Persia.
A bowl belonging to the Brooklyn Museum in New York shares most in
common in shape, the style of writing and depicting of the zodiac signs with
the bowl in the Warsaw National Museum. This bowl was created in the years
1648-49, an established fact allowing the dating of the Warsaw bowl to the
mid-17th century. The bowl researched by W Hein, whose work was subse-
quently published, is known to have originated from the village of Runan
near Isfahan and dates from 1643. It also reveals features in common with the
bowl belonging to the Warsaw National Museum. Hunting scenes are depicted
on the outer surface of the Runan bowl. Another bowl sharing many common
features with those of the Warsaw bowl but originating from the mid-16th cen-
tury is to be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Each of the
above-mentioned bowls originates from the Shiite world. Their purposes
would have been more connected with ceremony and prophesying rather than
with treating the sick.
Translated by Peter Martyn
12 I am indebted to Prof. Maria Skiadankowa for her interpretation of the symbolism of Saturn.
Hearer) which is repeated two times, and moreover the sura name/title Miri-
am-Kaf-ya-ayn-sad, an invocation: Ya Wadud (Oh, The very Toving), Tasm (the
name given to country- and townspeople), the word hamr (wine) and ‘ishq
(love).
The inscriptions are composed of Koranic verses, the most important of
which are: Al-Fatiha, sura III (v. 256-’60), XT (v. 1-4)), TX (v. 13), XXI (v.
87-’8), and also: the innvocation to Ali and litany of the Fourteen Innocents
(.Shahadah ma’sum), comprising the names of the Prophet and of Ali’s entire
family (the 12 Imams) (Fatima’s name is missing in the litany).
The rosettes also depict the Sun and Moon, Venus imagined as a harpist,
Jupiter as a man with outstretched arms, Mercury portrayed as a scribe and
Mars personified as a five-armed man. Saturn, depicted as having seven arms
and seated with a crown on his head, is placed in the mendiscus holding a loaf
of bread, a cup, scythe, birch stick/twig and dog. These attributes symbolise the
stages of human life from birth to death.12
The bowl’s exterior surface between the rim and the base is also divided in-
to three bands. The upper and lower bands contain twelve rosettes with depic-
tions of the twelve zodiac signs and are filled in with small floral ornamenta-
tion and twisting motifs. The lower part of the edge and external part of the
base are covered with small nashi letters. The rim contains an inscription with
the names of the Shiite imams. The hollow below the meniscus contains
a square with the four repeating epithets of Allah: Sami’, Alim, Nafi’, Basit.
judging by the standard of decorative elaboration and engraving of the let-
ters and figurai representations, the bowl belonging to the collections of the
National Museum in Warsaw should be recognised as one of the highest
achievemnets of metal arts and crafts coming out of Safawid Persia.
A bowl belonging to the Brooklyn Museum in New York shares most in
common in shape, the style of writing and depicting of the zodiac signs with
the bowl in the Warsaw National Museum. This bowl was created in the years
1648-49, an established fact allowing the dating of the Warsaw bowl to the
mid-17th century. The bowl researched by W Hein, whose work was subse-
quently published, is known to have originated from the village of Runan
near Isfahan and dates from 1643. It also reveals features in common with the
bowl belonging to the Warsaw National Museum. Hunting scenes are depicted
on the outer surface of the Runan bowl. Another bowl sharing many common
features with those of the Warsaw bowl but originating from the mid-16th cen-
tury is to be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Each of the
above-mentioned bowls originates from the Shiite world. Their purposes
would have been more connected with ceremony and prophesying rather than
with treating the sick.
Translated by Peter Martyn
12 I am indebted to Prof. Maria Skiadankowa for her interpretation of the symbolism of Saturn.