International studio (52.1914)

Persian Art in a New York Gallery


FIG. 3—ROYAL PRESENTATION CUP

of a Mohammedan temple, which is
the most astonishing find, was part
of the Seljoucid temple at Veramin
and is remarkable for its faience and
the wonderful shades of blue, tur-
quoise, aubergine and metallic lustre
which combine to charm the beholder.
The Nashky writing in the grand
frieze is attributed to Yacut, the great
master of caligraphy. (
Figure i in our illustrations has
fine decorative quality, while the ele-
phants reveal remarkable draughts-
manship. The inscription below
reads: ‘‘Designed by Kanha and
painted by Ekhlas”; Fig. 2 comes
from Ave, is striking in form and
decorated with metallic lustre, giv-
ing gold and purple reflection; Fig. 3
is a typical piece of figured Rhages
pottery and a first-class witness of
harmonious colour and skilled draw-
ing of symbolic character. It is of
creamy white paste, covered with
lustreless smooth glaze in polychro-
matic enamels, enriched in places with piece gold.
Cufic characters form the border; Fig. 4, found at
Hamadan in eighth or ninth century. Sassanian
bronzes are frequently decorated with human and
animal figures and are also found inlaid with
designs in silver; Fig. 5 is unique, being the only
known one of that period, with glaze and paste
like Chinese work of the Tung period. It is hard
paste with smooth glaze on ivory-coloured ground,
with engraved decoration, colours used being
blues, green, yellow and aubergine. Fig. 6 is
exceedingly realistic and shows that the Persian
painter never feared the truth, even when depict-
ing his monarch, who, as the clever painting shows,


is in a horrible condition of inebriety. The rich
colours of the royal robes and the beautiful
flowery background point to the great height to
which miniature painting attained.



FIG. 5—A NINTH-CENTURY RHAGES PLATE
Quite recently Mr. Birnbaum inaugurated a
very interesting exhibition of Persian caligraphy
at the Berlin Photographic Company’s Galleries.
Our thanks are due to Mr. Kevorkian and to
Mr. Pemberton for so courteously providing prints
and information. W. H. N.

XCVIII