An Umayyad monochrome moulded pottery ewer

Syria or Mesopotamia, 8th/ 9th Century

Footnotes

Provenance
The Collection of Bahram Mirza "Sardar-i-Massoud" (1885-1916), Paris, thence by descent.

Lots 28 - 35:
A private collection of Islamic ceramics formerly owned
by Qajar Prince, Bahram Mirza "Sardar-I-Massoud".

This collection boasts a treasure trove of rare and exquisite
examples of early Persian and Umayyad ceramics, which
have been in private hands for over a century. The ceramics
in this collection are a testament to the skill and artistry of
the craftsmen who created them. From the intricate floral
and calligraphic patterns of the early Persian ceramics to the
elegant monochromatic simplicity of the Umayyad example,
each work in this collection is a masterpiece of form and
design.

Bahram Mirza was the son of, Massoud Mirza Zelle Sultan,
the powerful Qajar Governor of Isfahan and son of Nasser AlDin Shah Qajar, one of Persia's longest ruling monarchs. He was an avid collector of Islamic art, and his passion for these
works is evident in the quality and diversity of the pieces in this
collection. As a member of the Qajar dynasty, Prince Bahram
was deeply connected to the cultural and artistic traditions of
Iran, and his collection reflects his deep appreciation for the
rich artistic heritage of the Islamic world.

The provenance of these ceramics is impeccable, having been
passed down through several generations of Prince Bahram's
family. After the death of Nasser Al-Din Shah, Bahram Mirza's
father Zelle Sultan had a fraught relationship with subsequent
kings Mozzafar Al Din Shah and Muhammad Ali Shah, who
saw him as a potential contender for the throne, in 1907, Zelle
Sultan was eventually dismissed from his post and went into
exile in France in 1910. His son, Bahram Mirza, accompanied
him into exile, where he continued his education and pursued
his interests in art and culture. However, Bahram Mirza's life
was cut tragically short when he died at the young age of 30
in a German torpedo attack on the British SS Sussex upon
an attempted return to Iran.

He was survived by his thirteen
brothers who would continue to play a prominent role in the
political and cultural life of Iran throughout the early 20th
Century

The green glaze featured within the present lot is distinctive of a group of early Islamic ceramics, which is characterised by a monochrome glaze (often green) and stamped and moulded decoration. They can be dated to the Umayyad or early Abbasid periods on the basis of a number of inscribed pieces (Arthur Lane, Early Islamic Pottery, London, 1947, pl. 3-5). There is also evidence that ceramics of this type were made in Eastern Iran, based on a bottle with inscription stating that it was made in Gurgan, now in the LA Mayer Memorial Foundation (inv. No. C40.69). For an example of an Umayyad monochrome moulded pottery ewer sold in these rooms, see Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 29 March 2022, lot 20. The lot features a comparable flaring cup and simple handle in addition to a similar decorative scheme incorporating the use of both cruciform and overlapping circle motifs.