Classification and Typology of Pottery Engraved under the Glaze (Sgraffiato) in Borujerd City (Based on Pottery Discovered from the Jameh Mosque Area and Layers of Old Urban Fabric)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 An expert on the cultural heritage site of Borujerd

2 PhD candidate in archeology, University of Bu-Ali Sina, Hamedan

10.22070/negareh.2020.4238.2141

Abstract

According to the historical and geographical resources of the Islamic period, the city of Borujerd has always been regarded as an urban center since at least the first centuries of the Islamic era. The old mosque of “Atiq”, which is the oldest monument of the Borujerd city, has been identified by archaeological findings and architectural characteristics, to bear evidence of existence from the earliest Islamic centuries to the present time. In several stages of archaeological explorations in this mosque, which have mostly been carried out with the aim of renewal, many pieces of clay have been discovered in the campus of this ancient building which mainly date back to the middle-Islamic centuries. In recent years, with the implementation of some reconstruction projects and excavations in the old site of Borujerd city, some evidences of cultural and historical layers have been discovered which are indicators for the study of pottery in Islamic period. The present research, through applying classification and typology of pottery and studying the role of the carvings under the enamels of the excavated finds, aims at introducing the technical and artistic characteristics of pottery carvings under the Atiq mosque. Highlighting similarities and differences between the studied samples and the findings of pottery centers is another purpose of this study. The results of this study show that underglaze carving was the most widely applied method in pottery clay since 4-7 centuries AH in Islamic era. In terms of shape, the themes and techniques of glazed motifs are of considerable diversity and have many shared technical and artistic characteristics with other pottery areas of the same period, especially those of west of Iran.
Borujerd, has been identified elsewhere as early as the second half of the third century in the Islamic era. Of the many names that Borujerd has been referred to during history, “Nahavand” and “Moon of Basreh” are the two most common ones. Since the fourth century and the formation of local governments, an increase of the role of western parts of Iran in the political-military developments could be seen. In the meantime, the city of Borujerd, took root and left a defining rule in the social and historical developments of that period due to being in the neighborhood of important cities such as Isfahan, Karaj Abodelf, Hamedan, and finally, Baghdad, which all flourished during the reigns of the Buyid and the Seljuk dynasties. The old texture of the Borujerd city has about 280 hectares of area. The central and primary core of the city is located in a range surrounded by the old Razan square, the Jameh Mosque of Soltani, Bazaar and the Jameh Mosque of Atiq. Despite the many works and signs of the existence of Islamic-period pottery in the area of study, including those in the old urban texture, layers and pottery, the area of Jameh Mosque has never been seriously and scientifically studied. In this regard, the present study was conducted with the aim of categorizing and classifying underglaze pottery carvings of the Jameh Mosque and the historical context of Borujerd, which count for a remarkable volume of glazed pottery and stained glass collection. It also intends to introduce the technical and artistic characteristics of this species in the study area. Therefore, this research is an attempt to answer questions such as: 1- What are the technical characteristics of the studied sgraffito pottery? 2. The artistic style of the studied samples is comparable to which well-known art patterns of this type of pottery? The present study was conducted by collecting information through library sources and field matching of field findings of this region with other regions.
In the present research, the descriptive-analytical research method has been used. In this regard, after initial observation and through survey, the basis for sample classification was as follows: technical similarity, the subject of motifs, methods of glazing, and comparison with a variety of commonly studied species of this style in the first and the middle centuries which have been introduced, categorized and analyzed by researchers in the field and based on scientific research available in books and specialized publications. Therefore, the clay components of the index in terms of forms of dishes, diversity of enamels and the role of the classification and typology and their characteristics were analyzed.
 

Keywords


Chubak, H. 2013, "The Pottery of the Islamic Age of Ancient Jiroft", Archeological Studies, Series 5, Volume 4, pp. 81-112.
Grube, E. 1994, The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art. Vol. IX. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Grobe, E. 2005, The Islamic Pottery, Volume 7 of the ten-volume Selection of Islamic Art Collection, compiled by Nasser Khalili, translated by Farnaz Haeri, Tehran: Carang.
Goudarzi, M. M. & Darvishi, A. 2015, Report of speculation and prosecution during the restoration of Boroujerd Jame Mosque, Lorestan: unpublished.
Ibn Khordadbeh, A. O. A. 1970, al-Maskal al-Mamalek, Correction and Explanation of Duque, Leiden: Braille.
Ibn Hoqal, 1987, The Travelogue of Ibn Hogl or Sura al-Arz, Translated and Explained by Dr. Ja'far Sha'ar, Tehran: Amir Kabir.
Ibn Ja'far, Gh. 1991, al-Kharaj, translated by Hossein Gharchanloo, Tehran: Alborz.
Ibn Maskaviyeh, A. A. 1989, The Experiences of Alam, Translated by Abolghasem Emami and Ali Monzavi, Tehran: Soroush.
Ibn Athir, A. M. 1992, The Complete History of Iran and Islam, Translated by Abbas Khalili and Abolghasem Mode, Tehran Scientific Press Institute.
Istakhri, A. I. I. 1961, Masalak al-Mamalik, by Iraj Afshar, Tehran: Book Translation and Publishing Company.
Kiani, M. Y. 2001, Hintergrund of pottery and pottery in Iran, Tehran: Nasim Danesh.
Kuhnel, E. 1965, Datierte Persisch Fayencen, Jarhbuch derasiatischenkunst, vol I.
Lane, A. 1965, Early Islamic Pottery Mesopotamian, Egypt and Persia, Faber and Faber Ltd., London.
Mehriar, M. 1985, Preliminary survey Boroujerd Jame Mosque, Journal of Works, No. 10 and 11. pp. 77-165.
Mohammadzadeh, M.; Fazel, A. & Samani, H. 2014, “Relevance, Beauty, and the Hidden Geometry in Pottery Patterns of Agh-Kand Type”, Islamic Art Picture, Volume 1, Number 1, pp. 50-58.
Mohammadi, M. & Shabani, M. 2016. "Introduction and analysis of pottery of the Islamic era in Zinoabad-Bahar area, Hamedan". Archaeological Research, No. 11, Volume 6, pp. 150-135.
Mohammadi, M & Rezaei, M. 2020, "An Historical and Archaeological Approach to the Islamic Site of Anda-jin", Archaeological Studies, Volume 12, Number 1, pp. 139-159.
Moghaddas, M. 1993, Boroujerd Mosque, Lorestan Cultural Heritage Archive, unpublished.
Northedge, A. 1985, "Planning Samarra: A Report for 1983-4". Iraq 47, pp. 28-109.
Parviz, A. 2006, Report on Investigation and Identification of Silakhor Plain, Lorestan Cultural Heritage Archive, Lorestan: Not published.
Pope, A. U. 1939, "The Ceramic Art in Islamic Times". In: A.U. Pope, Ph. Ackerman, (eds.), Survey of Persian Art, Vol. IV: pp. 1505-1541.
Pope, A. U. 1959, Masterpieces of Iranian Art, Adapted and Written by Parviz Nathal Khanlari, Tehran: Safali Shah Press Office.
Pope, A. U. & Akruman, P. 2008, A Survey of Iranian Art, Pottery, Translated by Najaf Daryabandi, Volume 8, Tehran: A Cultural Science.
Sarre. F. 1925, die Keramik von samara, Berlin.
Sarre, F. 1925, Die Keramik von Samarra, Die Ausgrabungen von Samarra 2, Berlin.
Schnyder, R. 1972, "Saljuk Pottery in Iran". In: The International Congress of Iranian Art & Archaeology. 189-197.
Schnyder, R. 1974, "Medieval Incised and Carved Wars From Morth-West Iran"The Art of Iran and Anatolia From The 11th to the 13th Century A.D.; London:Colloquie on Art and Archaeology in Asia, No.4.
Sharif Kazemi, Kh. 2013, "Studying the Techniques of Scripting Pottery and Collection of Foundation Museums Pottery", MSc Thesis, Islamic Course of Archeology, Hamedan Bu Ali Sina University.
Shater, M.; Laleh, H. & Chubak, H. 2019, "A Review on the Classification and Dating of Pottery Species Embedded in Golabe (Sgraphiato) in the Islamic Period", Iranian Archaeological Research, No. 21, Ninth Volume, pp. 173-188.
Soustiel, J. 1985, La Ceramique Islamique. Fribourg, Office du livre.
Watson, O. 2004, Ceramics from Islamic Lands, Thames & Hudson Ltd, London.
Whitehouse, D. 1992, Ceramics XIII, The Early Islamic Period, 7th–11th Centuries, In: Encyclopedia Iranica, Edited by Ehsan Yarshater, vol. V, California (Mazda Publishers), pp. 308-311.
Whitehouse, D. 1979, Decline of Siraf, In: Proceedings of the IIIrd Annual Symposium of Archaeological Research in Iran, Tehran 2nd-7th November 1974, Edited by Firouz.
Wilkinson, Ch. K. 1973, Nishapur Pottery of the Early Islamic Period, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Young, T.C. 1970, "survey in Iran 1961", Journal of Near Eastern Studies, pp. 230-228.
Zarei, M. I. & Shabani, M. 2019, "Study and analysis of the typology of pottery from the beginning of the Islamic period to the end of the Safavid period in Hamadan region". Archaeological Studies of Gamers, Third Year, No. 8, pp. 109-126.
Victoria & Albert Museum Photo Gallery (Victoria & Albert Museum Official Website)
St. Petersburg Museum's Photo Gallery (St. Petersburg Museum's Official Website)