Art Institute of Chicago

Mina'i Lobed Bowl with a Seated Prince and Mythical Creatures

Iran

Date

Seljuq dynasty (1037–1194), Late 12th/early 13th century

Medium

Mina'i ware, fritware with polychrome painting over an opaque white glaze

Culture

Iran

Department

Arts of Asia

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Iranian 12th- and 13th-century overglaze-painted ceramics, or mina'i (meaning enameled), are particularly opulent and luxurious objects due to their broad color palette. Prior to the late 12th century, colors applied to ceramics were generally limited to one or two per vessel. This example, however, has a much wider range of color, including red, blue, purple, black, and beige. The use of multiple colors applied over the glazed allowed for the depiction of increasingly complex scenes on ceramic vessels. Note the variety of figural decoration on the bowl, which is derived from stock imagery dealing with courtly culture.

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