Arts of the Islamic World and India

A Nishapur slip-painted calligraphic dish, Persia, circa 10th century

Margin Scheme

Auction Closed

April 24, 03:45 PM GMT

Estimate

25,000 - 35,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

the earthenware body of almost flat form, with a shallow cavetto and wide rim, on a short foot, decorated with a cream slip-painted ground featuring a bold Kufic inscription along the edge and a central dot in dark brown, reverse plain

33cm. diam.

inscriptions

al-hila ablagha min al-quwwa, 'Resourcefulness is more powerful than strength.'

Please note that there may be restrictions on the import of property of Iranian origin into the USA and some or all member countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council. Any buyers planning to import property of Iranian origin into any of these countries should satisfy themselves of the relevant import regime. Sotheby's will not assist buyers with the shipment of such items into the USA or the GCC. In addition, FedEx and US courier services will no longer carry Iranian-origin goods to any location. Any shipment services would need to be provided by a Fine Art shipping company. Please note that the inscription has been deciphered as 'Resourcefulness is more powerful than strength.', and not as stated in the printed catalogue.

Private collection since 1980s.

Calligraphic dishes from Nishapur dated to this period boast a wide variety of scripts, some of which sometimes defy clear reading. This points to an interest in the aesthetic and expressive qualities of calligraphy beyond meaning (Watson 2004, p.206). The particularly bold, angular inscription on the dish at hand is reminiscent of the calligraphic style used on a bowl in the al-Sabah collection (ibid. Cat. Ga.3). Its flattened shape is comparable to a dish in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (inv. no.C.909-1935). A closely comparable dish is in the Benaki Museum, Athens (inv.no. ΓΕ 39191).