Bowl with Deer Motif

Unknown

14th century · Stonepaste; underglaze painted (Sultanabad ware) · Islamic Art

A spotted deer rests against a foliate background in this blue and turquoise underglazed bowl from Iran. The animal looks upward, perhaps in reference to the motif of a deer gazing at the moon. This design, borrowed from Chinese Buddhist symbolism, was called jairan and used in a variety of media during the Ilkhanid period. One of a group of works associated with Sultanabad, this bowl and others like it were more likely produced in Kashan. The white glaze that once covered the exterior of the bowl is now faded, revealing the pinkish body of the stonepaste below.

Artist

Unknown

Date

14th century

Medium

Stonepaste; underglaze painted (Sultanabad ware)

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

H.O. Havemeyer Collection, Gift of Horace Havemeyer, 1941