Figural ornament with "oudh" (lute) player
Medium:Ceramic (earthenware, moulded), with iron-rich slip-paint
Geography: Iran
Date: 1050-1200 AD
Period: Mediaeval Period
Dimensions:33 x 15.2 x 2.6 cm
Object number: 958.118.2
Gallery Location:Wirth Gallery of the Middle East
DescriptionThe theme of leisure was very important in the art of the Seljuk period in Iran (c. 1037-1194). Glazed ceramic vessels with motifs of men and women with Central Asian features like this whether at rest, or playing instruments (like this oudh) are found throughout this period. This particular piece is moulded out of earthenware ceramic, a quick and easy technique that would have allowed for mass production. It may have been a part of a vessel and was carefully removed by a dealer; or it may have been part of architectural decoration, although these are typically made of carved plater or stucco.
