Lot 30. A Kashan lustre pottery jar, Persia, late 12th Century; 22.2 cm. high. Estimate £6,000 - 8,000 Sold for £7,500 (€ 8,512). © Bonhams.
of tapering octagonal form with faceted shoulder and short neck with everted rim on a short foot, decorated in a brownish-gold lustre, the foot decorated in cobalt blue, the body with panels of alternating seated figures and pairs of roundels containing stylised vegetal motifs on a ground of scrolling vines, the shoulder and neck decorated with further scrolling vines and roundels, potter's mark to base.
Provenance: Private UK collection.
Note: The current example is decorated in the 'Monumental' style which developed towards the end of the twelfth century. Typified by brownish-gold lustre on a white ground with bold, large-scale decoration on an ornate ground depicting subjects such as horsemen, animals, or commonly seated figures as in the present lot. Whilst the shape of other pieces in the Monumental style are possibly derived from Egyptian and Chinese pottery traditions, the angular, faceted shape of the current lot implies it is derived from metalwork. It is rare for a lustre vessel to have a potter's mark.