A BLACK-PAINTED TURQUOISE-GLAZED SELJUK KASHAN-REVIVAL... Lot 258

A BLACK-PAINTED TURQUOISE-GLAZED SELJUK KASHAN-REVIVAL POTTERY DISH WITH COURTLY COUPLE Iran, second half 19th - early 20th century Of typical shallow rounded shape with curved cavetto, resting on a short straight circular foot, the stonepaste body painted in black against a white ground and covered in turquoise glaze, the interior decorated with a large roundel in-filled with a Kashan-revival 'Monumental Style' figural motif depicting a seated courtly couple in conversation set against a dense scrolling vegetal background with birds and spiralling patterns, both haloed subjects characterised by Turkic Central Asian 'moon faces' and long gowns with pseudo-tiraz bands on the forearm, dark curly hair, and precious beaded tiaras, the female companion with three beauty marks around the lips following the fashion of the time, the inner part of the rim decorated with a silhouette calligraphic band, the exterior with a stylised scrolling vine, 29cm diam. and 9cm high. This type of black-painted turquoise-glazed ware and iconography proved to be incredibly popular in the creations of pre-Mongol Medieval Kashan. Thus, it should not surprise that they were widely imitated in the 19th and 20th centuries by modern Iranian potters. The monumental-scale 'courtly couple' motif on the interior has been exploited in a variety of different forms and decorative techniques, including copper lustre and overglaze enamelled mina'i. For further comparisons of Seljuk medieval examples, please see The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (acc. nos. 32.52.2 and 1975.1.1643), the MKG Museum for Applied Arts in Hamburg (acc. no. 1964.60), and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (acc. no. C.163-1977). Another Kashan-revival lustre pottery bowl dated 1218 AH (1803 AD) and presenting a similar decorative programme to the present lot was successfully sold at Chiswick Auctions, 16th July 2021, lot 289.