Determination of Centers and Characteristics of Non-Khurasanian Metalwork During 12th and Early 13th Century

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Abstract

12th and early 13th centuries are considered as a turning point in the history of Persian metalwork. In this period, Persian metalwork has undergone fundamental changes in terms of production and ornamentation; while casting was the popular method of production for most centuries in the early Islamic period of Iran, wares made of beaten bronze and brass were increasingly produced and therefore new forms and types of metal wares were introduced. Furthermore, vast and unprecedented application of inlay technique—hammering precious metals in the prepared surface of bronzes or brasses—made utterly functional vessels of base metal, as precious and luxurious as silver and gold wares. Inlaying bronzes and brasses with precious metals, not only substituted a multicolor surface for a dull one, facilitated application of various patterns and more themes which absorbed the skills of some of the best artists of the period. From the beginning of the 12th century until Mongol invasion in the second decade of the 13th century, Khurasan province in northeast of greater Iran was famous for producing luxurious inlaid bronzes and brasses. This has been ascertained by the fact that considerable pieces of the period have been signed by artisans whose nisbas associate them with cities located in the greater Khurasan, above all Herat. In addition, historical accounts of the 13th century provides a valuable evidence on Herat being a famous centers for production of inlaid metalwork. While the contribution of Khurasanian School of metalwork to above mentioned developments, it has been clearly determined, that the role of other industrial and cultural cities of these centuries, including Tabarestan, Jibal and Azerbaijan, in formation of this movement, has not yet been clarified. Still, outstanding contribution of some of these centers in Persian metalwork of previous centuries raises apt curiosity regarding probability of existence in these regions of metalworking workshops during the 12th and early 13th centuries. While material evidences highlight the importance of Tabarestan silver working industry during the early Islamic period and astrolabe industry in Isfahan assumed a high status after the 10th century, historical accounts point to outstanding base metal industry of Hamadan during pre-Mongol times - the 9th century writer Ibn Faghih calls attention to Hamadan Metalworkers` reputation and almost a century later Al-Muqaddasi refers to high-tin bronzes of the city. In this research, we are going to find out: 1) if there were other centers of metalwork in west of Khurasan as certain texts indicate and as earlier scholars have conjectured; and 2) if wares produced in these centers can be identified as such. Therefore the main goal of this essay is first to determine non-Khurasanian centers of metalwork of the period and then to introduce distinct features of their products. In order to meet this goal we have used descriptive-analytical method of research and categorized the extant evidences in three groups; 1) pieces found in non-Khurasanian regions of Iran; including a high-tin bronze bowl acquired from Gorgan and a footed dish from Hamedan; 2) pieces signed by craftsmen, associated with non-Khurasanian cities; including a huge cauldron made by a Gazwini artisan and an astrolabe of an Isfahani artist; and 3) pieces with different stylistic features compared to Khurasanian school of metalwork; including an aquamnile in the shape of a cow, its calf and a lion. Having analyzed these evidences, finally we came to conclude that the important non-Khurasanian metalwork centers of Iran in this period were active in Hamadan, Qazvin and Isfahan. At first, most of products of these workshops reveal northeastern aesthetistics regarding to their designs and decorations. However, after the beginning of the 13th century they constituted a distinct style of decoration that mostly influenced by central painted potteries and architectural ornaments of western Iran.   

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