"V"i"e"w" "o"f" "a" "c"i"r"c"u"l"a"r" "b"o"w"l"," "d"e"c"o"r"a"t"e"d" "i"n" "a" "b"r"o"w"n" "p"a"i"n"t" "o"v"e"r" "a" "c"r"e"a"m" "b"a"c"k"g"r"o"u"n"d"." "T"h"e" "b"a"s"e" "i"s" "s"m"a"l"l" "a"n"d" "r"a"i"s"e"d"." "T"h"e" "i"n"s"i"d"e" "o"f" "t"h"e" "b"o"w"l" "s"h"o"w"s" "a"n" "e"l"e"p"h"a"n"t"-"h"e"a"d"e"d" "b"i"r"d" "s"u"r"r"o"u"n"d"e"d" "b"y" "c"l"o"u"d"s"," "w"i"t"h" "b"a"n"d"s" "o"f" "w"h"i"t"e" "a"n"d" "b"r"o"w"n" "a"r"o"u"n"d" "t"h"e" "r"i"m"." "T"h"e" "e"x"t"e"r"i"o"r" "i"s" "d"e"c"o"r"a"t"e"d" "s"i"m"p"l"y" "w"i"t"h" "v"e"r"s"e"s" "o"f" "p"o"e"t"r"y"."
AKM556, Bowl with a fantastical elephant-headed creature, Front

© The Aga Khan Museum

"V"i"e"w" "o"f" "t"h"e" "i"n"s"i"d"e" "o"f" "a" "c"i"r"c"u"l"a"r" "b"o"w"l"," "d"e"c"o"r"a"t"e"d" "i"n" "a" "b"r"o"w"n" "p"a"i"n"t" "o"v"e"r" "a" "c"r"e"a"m" "b"a"c"k"g"r"o"u"n"d"." "T"h"e" "b"o"w"l" "i"s" "p"a"i"n"t"e"d" "w"i"t"h" "a"n" "e"l"e"p"h"a"n"t"-"h"e"a"d"e"d" "b"i"r"d" "s"u"r"r"o"u"n"d"e"d" "b"y" "c"l"o"u"d"s"," "w"i"t"h" "b"a"n"d"s" "o"f" "w"h"i"t"e" "a"n"d" "b"r"o"w"n" "a"r"o"u"n"d" "t"h"e" "r"i"m"."
AKM556, Bowl with a fantastical elephant-headed creature, Top

© The Aga Khan Museum

"S"i"d"e" "v"i"e"w" "o"f" "a" "c"i"r"c"u"l"a"r" "b"o"w"l" "d"e"c"o"r"a"t"e"d" "i"n" "a" "b"r"o"w"n" "p"a"i"n"t" "o"v"e"r" "a" "c"r"e"a"m" "b"a"c"k"g"r"o"u"n"d"." "T"h"e" "b"a"s"e" "i"s" "s"m"a"l"l" "a"n"d" "r"a"i"s"e"d"." "T"h"e" "r"i"m" "o"f" "t"h"e" "b"o"w"l" "i"s" "d"e"c"o"r"a"t"e"d" "i"n" "b"a"n"d"s" "o"f" "w"h"i"t"e" "a"n"d" "b"r"o"w"n"." "T"h"e" "e"x"t"e"r"i"o"r" "i"s" "d"e"c"o"r"a"t"e"d" "s"i"m"p"l"y" "w"i"t"h" "v"e"r"s"e"s" "o"f" "p"o"e"t"r"y"."
AKM556, Bowl with a fantastical elephant-headed creature, Side

© The Aga Khan Museum

"B"o"t"t"o"m" "v"i"e"w" "o"f" "a" "c"i"r"c"u"l"a"r" "b"o"w"l"," "s"h"o"w"i"n"g" "t"h"e" "u"n"p"a"i"n"t"e"d" "b"a"s"e"," "w"h"i"c"h" "i"s" "s"m"a"l"l"e"r" "t"h"a"n" "t"h"e" "r"i"m"’"s" "d"i"a"m"e"t"e"r"," "w"i"t"h" "a" "r"a"i"s"e"d" "e"d"g"e"." "T"h"e" "s"i"d"e"s" "a"r"e" "d"e"c"o"r"a"t"e"d" "i"n" "b"r"o"w"n" "p"a"i"n"t" "w"i"t"h" "p"o"e"t"r"y" "v"e"r"s"e"s"," "o"v"e"r" "a" "c"r"e"a"m" "b"a"c"k"g"r"o"u"n"d"." "
AKM556, Bowl with a fantastical elephant-headed creature, Bottom

© The Aga Khan Museum

Click on the image to zoom

Bowl with a fantastical elephant-headed creature
  • Accession Number:AKM556
  • Place:Iran
  • Dimensions:15.2 cm
  • Date:early 13th century
  • Materials and Technique:fritware, lustre-painted

  • This object is included in the following tour(s):
    Stop #3 of Audio Guide: Achievement

     

    Click below to listen

     

    Next up in the Achievement Tour:

      Blue-and-white dish
      based on a Chinese model,
      AKM886

More About Bowl with a fantastical elephant-headed creature

Sphinxes, harpies, and simurghs are among the fantastical beasts that appear on a special group of sparkling, lustre-glazed ceramics from Iran made between the 12th and 13th centuries. With their large central motifs, they evoke the lustre-glazed bowls made in Egypt during the Fatimid period (909–1171; see AKM684). The elephant-headed bird depicted here is a unique creature not found elsewhere. It must be the product of the potter’s vivid imagination—inspired, perhaps, by the mythical birds described in Persian poetry. On the exterior of the bowl are verses from Persian poetry, scrawled rather carelessly in contrast to the fine drawing of the interior of the bowl.

 

— Marika Sardar


Note: This online resource is reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis. We are committed to improving this information and will revise and update knowledge about this object as it becomes available.

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