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The first indigenous Muslim dynasty to rule Iran
following the Arab conquest, the Samanid
Dynasty was founded in 819 A.D. by Saman-
Khuda, a Persian vassal of the Abbasid Empire.
However, not until the reign of Saman-Khuda’s
great-grandson, Ismail I (892-907 A.D.), did
Samanid power become extensive, eventually
spreading outside of Iran and into Central Asia.
The coins of the Samanids were used throughout
North Asia, revealing their enormous influence
on the region. Today, the Samanid Dynasty is
renown as a time of cultural flourishing,
especially in regards to the arts of poetry and
pottery. The capital of Bukhara was also one of
the cultural centers of the empire, along with the
cities of Samarkand and Nishapur. Perhaps their
most important influence on Islamic art was the
Samanid innovation of slip painting that allowed
for more refined, controlled glazed decorations
on terracotta vessels and tiles. The Samanid
Dynasty was a period of nationalism, where the
Persian people regained power from the hands of
foreign invaders. While Samanid power gradually
waned throughout the 10th century in response
to the rise of Turkic power in Central Asia and
Afghanistan, during their rule the foundations of
a native Iranian Islamic culture were firmly
established.
Many Samanid slipwares are decorated with
abstract designs such as the ovals around the
body and pseudo glyphs on the neck of this early
and rare jug. Later examples sport palmettes and
scrolls. The technical and artistic quality, in the
crispness of execution and sureness of placing
are noteworthy even on this more primitive
example.
This magnificent and beautifully decorated
earthenware jug is from eastern Iran, probably
Nishapur. It features a white slip with black,
white and red slip repeated geometric designs
under a transparent glaze. The overall effect is
entrancing.
For a similar example see Oliver Watson,
Ceramics from Islamic Lands, cataloging the Al-
Sabah Collection in the Kuwait National Museum,
2004. cat. Gb.13 JUG.
- (AMD.143)
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