Safavid Grisaille Jar

Iran, Second half of the 17th century with 19th century mounts
Fritware with grey-blue decoration under a clear glaze and brass mounts
46 cm high (including mounts), 33 cm diameter
Stock no.: A6097

+44 (0)20 4572 6886

A large Safavid jar of ‘guan’ form with Qajar brass mounts. The jar has an unusual grisaille palette, belonging to a group attributed by Yolande Crowe to the second half of the 17th century.¹ The variety of grey colours are achieved by adding copper, manganese, and iron oxides to cobalt.
The central register is decorated with a pastoral scene, including a lion, bird-filled trees, rocks, and a stream. Around the foot ring there is a border of ruyi clouds and at the shoulder a lobed band filled with peonies in reserve with hatched and cross-hatched detailing. These motifs are likely copied from a Chinese prototype.
Several bowls and dishes dated to the 17th century in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, share the grisaille palette. A dish with a similar pastoral scene (no. 460-1878) shares the unusual areas of striped decoration in the foreground. Another (accession no. 1115-1876), dated to the 17th century, shares a similar lion. A bowl (accession no. 467-1878) features similar pastoral motifs. A bowl in the same collection (accession no. 2901-1876), this time with blue decoration, has a band of fretwork inside the bowl which resembles the pattern at the neck of our jar.
A very similar jar in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (object no. 30.95.160a,b) similarly has Qajar mounts.

n.b. accession nos are clickable links

[1] Crowe, Yolande. Persia and China : Safavid Blue and White Ceramics in the Victoria & Albert Museum, 1501-1738. London/Geneva: Victoria & Albert Museum/La Borie, 2002, p. 187.

instagram

@AMIRMOHTASHEMI