Day 158 - Lantern and spit rest
June 6, 2019
Gallery 452 contains artifacts from excavations that the museum conducted at Nishapur, in northeastern Iran, between 1935 and 1947. The work was interrupted during World War II and taken up again afterwards, with half the objects going to the Met and half to the National Museum of Iran. Further excavations have since been undertaken by a joint French-Iranian team; although the captions don't say so, I would bet that political tensions between the U.S. and Iran have precluded further work by American archaeologists in that country.
I'd never heard of Nishapur before. It was founded in the 3rd century C.E. by the Sasanians and was inhabited until the early 15th century. At its height, it was home to between 100,000 and 200,000 residents- mostly Muslims, but also Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians. Its main claim to distinction -and its source of wealth - is its location on the Silk Road, and some of the objects found there reflect Chinese influences. The majority of the pieces on display are ceramic or glass; some are quite luxurious, while others are plainer, intended for daily use in middle-class households. I smile at (and am rather surprised by) one large bowl whose Arabic inscription reads, "He who multiplies his words multiplies his worthlessness."
Today's objects speak once again to the human propensity to decorate the utilitarian. The first is an earthenware lantern made in the 9th or 10th century. Perhaps 12 inches high and topped by a ring (for holding? suspending from a rope or a hook?), its body is divided into six registers, each of which is carved with a design of increasing size or complexity: Y and V shapes, triangles, and slits. The patterns of light the lantern gave off must have been rather magical.
The second object is a small horse, perhaps 5 inches long, carved of steatite (a form of talc, as I learn). The figure's head and body are incised with concentric circles and other lines. But what is most notable is that the animal's back slopes downward and is notched behind the shoulder. "A spoonrest," is what comes to mind. I look at the caption- it's a rest for a spit! I guess they enjoyed kebabs way back then!
I'd never heard of Nishapur before. It was founded in the 3rd century C.E. by the Sasanians and was inhabited until the early 15th century. At its height, it was home to between 100,000 and 200,000 residents- mostly Muslims, but also Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians. Its main claim to distinction -and its source of wealth - is its location on the Silk Road, and some of the objects found there reflect Chinese influences. The majority of the pieces on display are ceramic or glass; some are quite luxurious, while others are plainer, intended for daily use in middle-class households. I smile at (and am rather surprised by) one large bowl whose Arabic inscription reads, "He who multiplies his words multiplies his worthlessness."
Today's objects speak once again to the human propensity to decorate the utilitarian. The first is an earthenware lantern made in the 9th or 10th century. Perhaps 12 inches high and topped by a ring (for holding? suspending from a rope or a hook?), its body is divided into six registers, each of which is carved with a design of increasing size or complexity: Y and V shapes, triangles, and slits. The patterns of light the lantern gave off must have been rather magical.
The second object is a small horse, perhaps 5 inches long, carved of steatite (a form of talc, as I learn). The figure's head and body are incised with concentric circles and other lines. But what is most notable is that the animal's back slopes downward and is notched behind the shoulder. "A spoonrest," is what comes to mind. I look at the caption- it's a rest for a spit! I guess they enjoyed kebabs way back then!
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