Importante albarelle, Iran, Kashan ou Sultanabad, art il-khanide, fin du XIIIE-début du XIVE siècle

sur un court pied circulaire très légèrement tronconique, la panse au profil concave, le col tronconique terminé par une lèvre évasée, en céramique siliceuse à décor peint en noir sous une glaçure transparente colorée bleu-turquoise, motifs de registres épigraphiques, géométriques et végétaux stylisés, une frise de poissons en partie inférieure; cassures recollées, une zone de restauration sur le col et quelques repeints

In colour : The turquoise glaze is deeper in the reality than in the catalogue illustration The brownish areas in the catalogue illustration are in the reality in a green colour due due to the iridescence iridescence overall the surface crackles to the glaze breaks repairs mainly on the top half very small chips to the glaze a restoration on the neck with retouching to the paint
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Inscriptions: a repetition of the word "al-Sa'âda" on the body and "al-Iq'bâl" around the neck.

"The albarello was a favoured storage vessel in the Islamic world, and its popularity in Europe, particularly in pharmacies, may have been first kindled by the importation of pieces such as this, either as luxury vessels in their own right, or as containers for spices and other exotic products of the East." (WATSON, O., Ceramics from Islamic Lands, Kuwait National Museum, The Al-Sabah Collection, Thames & Hudson, 2004, p.399).

The shape of our albarello is typical of 14^th century Sultanabad ones (see: The Legacy of Gengis Khan, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New york, 2002, p.201, fig.243). Another albarello, different in shape but turquoise-glazed, datable from the 13^th century, is in the Victoria & Albert Museum (293-1900). There are two other turquoise and black jars with fish pattern around the base: one in the Louvre Museum, Paris (MAO 649) and another in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (10.43). The frise with stylized fish pattern is a recurrent motif in Ilkhanid or Mamluk, Persian and Syrio-Egyptian metalwork from the 13^th century.