Ancient Persian Ceramics and Metalwork Two-handled vessel in the shape of a Vessel in the shape of a horned, Vessel in the shape of a stag Vessel in the shape of a bull Footed cup water skin birdlike creature 1200–800 BCE Approx. 900–800 BCE Probably 4000–3500 BCE Probably 1200–800 BCE Approx. 900–800 BCE Northern Iran; probably Marlik or Northern Iran; probably Amlash Western Iran; probably Tepe Sialk Northern Iran; probably Amlash Northern Iran; Amlash Kaluraz, Amlash Earthenware Earthenware with slip decoration Earthenware Earthenware Earthenware The Avery Brundage Collection, B62P87 The Avery Brundage Collection, The Avery Brundage Collection, The Avery Brundage Collection, B62P80 The Avery Brundage Collection, B62P9+ B60P459 B60P2015 Like the other objects nearby, this Tepe Amlash (tepe means “hill”) in Vessels of this type, found in graves and vessel probably held a liquid used for This cup—adorned with long-horned northwestern Iran was scientifically identified as burial goods, may have some ceremony rather than for everyday goats, ibexes, and simple geometric explored in the late 1950s and 1960s. been used to pour offerings or libations. use. The animals themselves may have patterns—is one of the oldest objects In several graves at this site, researchers The stag’s face serves as a spout. had ritual or religious significance. in the museum’s collection. It is an found vessels like this one that combined Although highly stylized and reduced Because so many similar examples example of the sophisticated (and various animal forms. This pouring to its most characteristic elements, the come from graves, researchers think often large) pottery made in central vessel brings together keenly observed animal still possesses a lifelike quality. that they may have been produced for and southwestern Iran during the fourth features of a bird and a ram. The beak, This particular type of vessel is similar funerary rites or strictly for burials. millennium BCE. The animals, rendered which serves as a spout, the small to those found at the archaeological site in economically artful brushstrokes, feet at the base, and the overall shape of Tepe Marlik in northwestern Iran. Here the head and mouth of a bull act are stylized with simplified bodies and resemble that of a bird. However, the as the spout. The bull’s hump is shaped exaggerated horns. Yet they are also addition of ears and horns, which serve into a wide-mouthed vessel with two realistic—the ibex’s horns are articulated as small handles, suggest a ram. It is not rams’ head “handles,” into which the and the goat’s “goatee” defined. known what meaning this combination of liquid would have been poured. Note animal features held for the people who the straight horns of the bull and the The concentric rings visible on this cup’s made and used this vessel. curling horns of the rams. body indicate that it was made using a potter’s wheel. There are differing opinions about when and where the potter’s wheel was invented. But, as this example shows, Persian potters were using this mechanical device approximately six thousand years ago. PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE FROM THE GALLERY Ancient Persian Ceramics and Metalwork Coins of the Sasanian Empire Cheekpiece of a horse bridle in the Cheekpiece of a horse bridle in the Two finials for standards in the form Long-spouted vessel The Sasanian empire (224–651) form of a mythical creature form of a winged sphinx of the “Master of Animals” Approx. 900–600 BCE spanned a territory that included Approx. 800–700 BCE Probably 1000–650 BCE Approx. 750–700 BCE Iran parts of what are today Oman, Iraq, Iran; Luristan region Iran; Luristan region Iran; Luristan region Silver Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Bronze Bronze Bronze The Avery Brundage Collection, Afghanistan. Sasanians controlled the The Avery Brundage Collection, B60B17+ The Avery Brundage Collection, B62B90 The Avery Brundage Collection, B62B166 lucrative trade along much of the so- B62B95.a-.b called Silk Road, which connected China A sphinx with horns and a predator’s This winged sphinxlike creature is This jar was probably a ceremonial to West Asia and the Mediterranean. head on its wing tip tramples a creature reminiscent of the human-headed The motifs found on Luristan bronzes object and may have been produced as that resembles an antelope. The winged bulls of ancient Assyria (approx. are surprisingly varied when compared a burial offering. It was made using very Artisans of the Sasanian empire created, combination of different animal features 800–600 BCE), which was located in to those of other West Asian cultures. sophisticated metalworking techniques. in addition to impressive royal palaces is characteristic of Luristan bronzes. what is today Iraq. Large Assyrian stone Still, many bronzes from this region, and monumental sculpture, a wide examples guarded palace doorways. like the finials seen here, feature motifs range of brilliant silver vessels, textiles, This cheekpiece would have been The horned headdress (a mark of also seen in Mesopotamia (modern and other luxury goods. Small objects connected to its matching counterpart divinity) and the curls (a mark of the Iraq). In these two finials a central such as coins helped to spread and (now in the Louvre Museum in Paris) hero) are well-established motifs in the figure grasps the throats of multiheaded preserve Sasanian motifs, which would by a metal rod that passed through the ancient West Asian world, dating back beaked creatures. It is likely that be copied and revived in later periods. circular hole. almost five thousand years. Whether the the figure represents a “master (or winged sphinx had the same meaning mistress) of animals” who controls An unusual attribute of Sasanian royal for the people of Luristan as it had for nature. While the use of this motif goes portraits is the elaborate royal crown, the Assyrians is not known. back to at least 3000 to 2000 BCE as seen in the top object. Sasanian and appears in ancient Mesopotamian emperors linked themselves with the and Mediterranean cultures, here it has Handled pitcher with animal- long heritage of Persian imperial been interpreted in a new way. headed spout reign, particularly with the much earlier Approx. 800–700 BCE Achaemenid empire (550–330 BCE). Iran; Luristan region Zoroastrianism, one of the world’s Bronze earliest monotheistic religions, was The Avery Brundage Collection, associated with the Achaemenids, and Cheekpiece of a horse bridle in the B60B620 the Sasanians chose to make it their form of a wild sheep state religion. Depicted on the lower Approx. 800–700 BCE This elaborate vessel was probably used Iran; Luristan region coin is a Zoroastrian fire altar, of which for ceremonial purposes. Many objects Bronze several Sasanian examples have been of this type, but made of silver, have The Avery Brundage Collection, archaeologically excavated. been excavated. B60B521 The Art of Elegant Writing in Arabic and Persian Scripts The Arabic script developed in the pre-Islamic period from the writing system of the Nabatean peoples of Syria, Jordan, Arabia, and the Sinai Peninsula. Arabic is a Semitic language, is written and read from right to left, and comprises mainly consonants and long vowels. Eighteen letter shapes express twenty- eight phonetic sounds, which are distinguishable from one other by the placement of dots above or below the letter. Arabic makes no distinction between upper- and lower-case letters, but a letter’s shape changes depending on whether it is in the beginning, middle, or end of a word. Short vowels, indicated by additional marks above or below a letter, are typically only written in the Qur’an, where correct recitation is important. Persian or Farsi belongs to the Indo-Iranian language family. In use for millennia, Persian has been written over time with characters from different writing systems, including cuneiform, Aramaic, Pahlavi, and Hebrew. The Arabic script began to be used for Persian after 642 CE, following the arrival of Islam to Iran. The Persian language incorporates many Arabic loanwords and its alphabet includes four additional letters not found in Arabic. Classical Turkish and Urdu (used in Pakistan and parts of India) are also written with the Arabic script. Calligraphy holds the highest status amongst the arts in Muslim societies. Since the revelation from God to the prophet Muhammad—the Qur’an—is in Arabic, its script gives visible form to the divine beauty of God’s words. While the main function of writing in many cultures is to convey and preserve information, the religious associations with Arabic spurred its use and elaboration to virtually become the symbol of Islam. The artworks in this gallery reflect the creative potential of the elegantly-written word. In addition to the sacred word in Qur’an manuscripts, proverbs and poetic inscriptions in Persian and Arabic also adorn everyday objects like bowls, candlestands, and tiles to make the objects “speak.” Islamic Period Ceramics, 800–1100 Bowl with Arabic inscription Bowl with Arabic inscription Bowl with design of warrior Bowl with bird designs Approx. 900–1000 Approx. 900–1000 on horseback Approx. 900–1000 Northeastern Iran Northeastern Iran Approx. 900–1000 Northeastern Iran; probably Nishapur Samanid period (819–1005) Samanid period (819–1005) Northeastern Iran; probably Nishapur Samanid period (819–1005) Earthenware with slip decoration Earthenware with slip decoration Samanid period (819–1005) Earthenware with slip decoration under glaze under glaze Earthenware with slip decoration under glaze The Avery Brundage Collection, The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P6+ under glaze The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P1862 The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P1859 This bowl shows the same characteristic B60P1886 Calligraphy, or beautiful writing, has design as that to the left. However, the Like the other bowls in this case, this transformed this bowl into something Arabic here was written in florid kufic Who is this rider holding a long sword one has painted slip decoration.