Reassessing the Issue of Degeneration of Qajar Art with an Emphasis on Pottery

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D student of comparative and analytical history of Islamic art, Faculty of Theoretical Studies of ;Art, University of Art; member of the faculty of Kashan University, Kashan, Iran

2 Professor; member of the Faculty of Applied Arts, University of Arts, Tehran, Iran. ‎

3 Associate Professor; faculty member of Faculty of Architecture and Art, Kashan University,

10.22070/negareh.2023.17012.3135

Abstract

A study of the research carried out in the field of Qajar pottery ‎shows that the prevailing attitude towards this art during the past decades has generally been derived ‎from a kind of negative thought, which is basically defined by keywords such as “degeneration”, ‎‎”vanishing”, ‎‎”decline”, “deterioration” and “stagnation”. ‎Even with the change of attitude ‎towards Qajar art since the end of the 20th century, the effects of the mentioned approach still ‎remain on the later research, and traces of it can be seen from time to time in the conducted ‎research. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate and measure the correctness and ‎incorrectness of the mentioned approach. The question of the current research is that whether this ‎attitude has its roots in historical facts or is it just the result of a wrong understanding of Qajar history ‎and art? In other words, is Qajar pottery really weak in terms of quantity and quality, or is it ‎subjected to adverse and biased comments? In this ‎regard, the frequency of Qajar pottery production level will be investigated in accordance with ‎the underlying and influential factors in the process of Qajar artistic trends, including the ‎discourse of development and reform, supply and demand market, and the social bases of art. It ‎should be noted that the word “quality” in this research refers to “technical ‎quality” of the products - including the quality of clay, glaze, colors and firing - and does not ‎include their “visual aspects”. This fundamental research applies the historical-analytical method. Data collection has been done by referring to library and field documents with reference to various sources, including historical texts (books, manuscripts and documents), ‎accounts of travelers and political agents, and the works and documents preserved in museums. Data analysis has also been done by inductive method and in a round-trip process. The target ‎community of the present research is the Qajar era pottery, including dishes, tiles and various ‎pottery objects, which were sampled in a targeted manner. The findings of the research indicate that in contrast to what has often been asserted, not only the Qajar pottery has not been faced with “degeneration” in terms of quantity and quality, but it established a ‎special and distinct place for itself in the field of Iranian pottery. During the Qajar period, the ‎support for the expansion and prosperity of the pottery industry by the government ‎and political elites increased significantly, leading to the development of tile making and chinaware production. In this period, no defect could be seen in the ‎production of earthenware and generally monochrome products, but due to the influence of ‎Chinese imports and the loss of traditional and long-standing patrons, namely financiers and ‎political elites, creators of stonepaste wares were unable to produce products of high quality. Nevertheless, the ‎production of stonepaste wares continued, though not with the previous quality, for a new ‎market of emerging middle-class customers. On the other hand, it can be seen that with the ‎change of the social base of art in this period, in addition to the expansion of patrons and ‎customers of pottery, the priority is directed to ordering tiles due to the increase in building ‎construction and restoration programs. The change in the social bases of art ‎brought about other effects; including the one that led to the “commodification” of manufactured ‎products. Accordingly, Qajar pottery lost the former “luxurious” character of Safavid pottery. Under such conditions, ‎Qajar pottery was relegated from the class of noble and courtly objects and it became available to ‎the general public at the level of commercial goods. In spite of that, this issue caused more creativity in ‎Qajar products in the field of design and coloring. On the other hand, the boom in the market of ‎supply and demand due to the emergence of the phenomenon of collecting art works by ‎foreign museums and collectors resulted in bulk orders for the Qajar potters, especially in the late ‎‎13th and the early 14th centuries AH/ 19th and 20th centuries AD. At the same time, the increase in demand for old works ‎led to the production of fake products known as “antiques”. The impossibility of ‎distinguishing between some of these products from the original samples is indicative of the high skill of the ‎potters of this period in producing high-quality products. Furthermore, it implicitly ‎reminds us of the important and effective role of patrons of works of art in ‎determining the trend of artistic trends.‎

Keywords

References

Abbott, Keith Edward, (2018), Iranian cities & trade in the Qajar era: Consul Abbott on the economy and society of Iran, 1847-1866, Translated by Seyyed Abdul Hossein Rais Al Sadat, Tehran: Amirkabir Publications.
Adamiyat, Fereydoun, (1982), Amir Kabir and Iran, Tehran: Kharazmi Publishing Company.
Adamiyat, Fereydoun; Nateq, Homa, (1977), Social, political, and economic thoughts in the unpublished works of the Qajar era, Tehran: Agah Publication.
Anet, Claude, (1991), Les Roses d'Ispahan (La Perse en automobile), Translated by Fazlullah Jelveh, Tehran: Revayat Publication.
Balaghi, Abdul Hojjah, (1971), History of Tehran, 2 volumes, Qom.
Benjamin, S. G. W., (1984), Persia and the Persians, Translated by Mohammad Hossein Kurdbacheh, Tehran: Javidan Publishing Organization.
Brugsch, Heinrich, (1989), Reise der königlich Preussischer Gesandtschaft nach Persien (Journey of the Royal Prussian Embassy to Persia) (1862–63), Translated by Mohandes Kurdbacheh, Second edition, Tehran: Ettelaat Institute,
Brugsch, Heinrich, (1995), Im lande der Sonne wanderungen in Persien, Translated by Majid Jalilvand, Tehran: Markaz Publication.
Burlington Fine Arts Club, (1885), Illustrative Catalogue of Specimens of Persian and Arab Art Exhibited.
Carey, Moya, (2017), Persian Art: Collecting the Arts of Iran for the V&A, London: Victoria and Albert Museum.
Curzon, George, N., (1994), Persia and the Persian question, First & second volume, Translated by Gholam Ali Vahid Mazandarani, Tehran: Scientific and Cultural Publishing Company.
D'Allemagne, Henri René, (1956), Du Khorassan au pays des Backhtiaris : trois mois de voyage en Perse, Translated by Farahvashi, Tehran: Ibn Sina, Amir Kabir.
Document Center of IRAN Parliament, (1333 AH.), Document number 32/1/5/172/3, Mirza Hossein Atighehforoosh, complaint about confiscation of antique jars recorded in police,
Document Center of IRAN Parliament, (1341 AH.), Document number 88/1/24/49/4, Sadr al-Ulemai regarding the sustainability of the tile making industry.
Document Center of IRAN Parliament, (1343 AH.), Document number 100/1/20/125/5, Haji Mohammad Ali and two other tile-makers of Estahbanat complaint against the finance minister demanding money.
Emami Naeeni, Hossein, (1935), Naeen Nameh known as Naeen manuscript history and Naeen Imami history, Retrieved from http://Naeeni,com/book/
Etemad al-Saltaneh, Mohammad Hasan Khan, (1971), Etemad-al-Saltaneh Memories journal, the Minister of press and publication, at the end of the Nasrid era, Related to the years 1292 to 1313 AH, second edition, Tehran: Amir Kabir Publication.
Etemad al-Saltaneh, Mohammad Hasan Khan, (1978), Sadr al-Tawarikh or the date of the Qajar issue, Biographies of eleven of the chancellors of the Qajar kings, Proofreading by Mohammad Moshiri, second edition, Tehran: Rozbahan Publication.
Etemad al-Saltaneh, Mohammad Hasan Khan, (1984), Forty years of Iranian history in Naser Al-Din Shah, vol. 1, edited by Iraj Afshar, first edition, Tehran: Asatir Publication.
Fellinger, Gwenaelle; Guillaume, Carol, (2018), L'empire des roses: Chefs-D'oeuvre De L'art Persan Du 19e Siècle, LOUVRE-LENS, Snoeck.
Feuvrier, Joannès‏, (2006), Trois ans a'la cour perse, Translated by Abbas Iqbal Ashtiani, Tehran: Science Publication.
Floor, Willem, (1992), Essays on social history of Iran (8), Iran's industrialization and Sheikh Ahmad Madani's revolt, Translated by Abolghasem Siri, Tehran: Toos Publication.
Floor, Willem, (2013), Traditional crafts in Qajar Iran (1800-1925), Translated by Alireza Baharloo, Tehran: Peykareh.
Floor, Willem; Otte, Jaap, (2019), European Ceramics in Iran in the 19th and Early 20th  Centuries, American Ceramic Circle Journal, Vol. 20:  pp.117-143,
Ghaffari, Abu’l Hassan, (1989), History of relations between Iran and France, Tehran: Academic Publishing Center.
Godard, Andre, (1997), The Art of Iran, Translated by Behrouz Habibi, Third edition, Tehran: Printing and Publishing Center of Shahid Beheshti University.
Hassan, Zaki Mohammad, (1941), Iranian art in the Islamic era, translated by Mohammad Ali Khalili, Tehran: Iqbal Publishing House.
Holtser, Ernst, (1976), Iran in one hundred and thirteen years ago, First part: Isfahan, Translated by Mohammad Asemi, Tehran: Ministry of Culture and Arts.
Iran's government newspaper, (1991), first volume, Tehran: National Library of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Issawi, Charles, (1983), The economic history of Iran, Translated by Yaqub Azhand, Tehran: Gostareh Publication.
Jamalzadeh, Seyyed Mohammad Ali, 1956, Ganj Shaygan or the economic situation of Iran, Berlin: Publications of "Kave" department.
Jenab, Mir Seyed Ali, (1997), Isfahan, Through the efforts of Mohammadreza Riazi, Tehran: Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization.
Kambakhsh Fard, Saifullah, (2000), Pottery in Iran: from neolithic period to the present, Tehran: Qoqnoos.
Kaviani, Soheila, (2022), Qajar tile fireplaces, Master thesis, Supervisor: Abbas Akbari, Kashan University.
Kelenyi, bela; Szanto, Ivan (eds.), (2010), Artisans at the Crossroads, Persian arts of the Qajar period (1796-1925), Budapest.
Keppel, George Thomas, (1834), Personal Narrative Of A Journey From India To England, Vol 2, London.
Lane, Arthur, (1971), Later Islamic Pottery: Persia, Syria, Egypt, Turkey, 2th edition, Faber and Faber Ltd.‎
Mahdavi, Asghar, Afshar, Iraj, (2001), Trade documents of Iran in 1287 AH., Tehran: Elmi farhangi Publication.
Malik al-Mowarekhin, Abdul Hossein Khan, (2016), Meraat al-Vaghaye Muzaffari, first volume, Edited by Abdul Hossein Navayi, Tehran: Miras Maktoob.
Mostofi, Mohammad Mohsen, (1996), Zobdat al-Tavarikh, by Behrouz Gudarzi, Tehran: Dr. Mahmoud Afshar Yazdi Endowment Foundation.
Mousavi Viaye, encieh Sadat; Akbari, Abbas, (2019), Qajar lustres, the missing episode of Qajar pottery studies, In Siah Qalam, the status and works of Master Ali Mohammad Esfahani by Mehdi Makinjad, (pp. 11-54), Tehran: moaseseye talif, tarjome va nashre asare honari matn.
National Archives of Iran, (1320 AH.), Document number 210/2439, Letters from Paris to Mostofi in Brussels: renting a shop, meeting with Atabek and Malkam.
Norouzi Talab, Hamidreza, (2015), Tehran to shemiran, the glory of qajar period and early pahlavi art & architecture, Tehran: Yesavali Publications.
Olmer, L. J. (1905), Rapport Sur Une Mission Scientifique En Perse, Paris: Impimerie Nationale.
Perkins, Justin, (1843), A Residence of Eight Years in Persia, Among the Nestorian Christians, Allen, Morrill & Wardwell.
Polack, Jacob Edward, (1989), Persien, das Land und seine Bewohner; Ethnograpische Schilderungen, Translated by: Keikavoos Jahandari, Tehran: Kharazmi Publishing Company.
Pope, Arthur Upham and Ackerman, Phyllis, (2007), A Survey of Persian Art from Prehistoric Times ‎to the Present,‎ Volume 4, translated by Najaf Daryabandari and others, Tehran: Elmi farhangi Publication.
Rafii, Leyla, (1999), persian pottery: from prehistoric times to the present age, Tehran: Yasavoli.‎
Riazi, Mohammadreza, (2015), Qajar Tiling, in collaboration with Akram Kabiri, Tehran: Yasavoli.
Rochechouart, Julien de., (1867), Souvenirs d'un voyage en Perse, Challamel Aine (ed,), Paris: libraire commissionnaire pour la marine, les colonies et l'orient.
Rogers, M., (1995), Pottery, in Ronald W. Ferrier, The Arts of Iran (pp. 255-270), Translated by Parviz Marzban, Tehran: Farzan Rooz publishing and research.
Saadvandian, Cyrus, (2001), The number of buildings, the number of people from Darul-Khilafah to Tehran 1311-1231 SH, Tehran: Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Tehran: Printing and Publishing Organization.
Saadvandian, Cyrus; Etehadieh, Mansoureh, (1987), Statistics of Darul-Khilafah of Tehran (documents of the social history of Tehran during the Qajar era), Tehran: Publishing of Tarikh Iran.
Scarce, Jennifer, (2018), The arts of the Eighteenth to Twentieth Centuries: architecture, ceramics, metalwork, textiles, In The cambridge history of Iran, (Volume Seven) Part Three, Pahlavi period by Peter Avery, Gavin Hambly and Charles Melville (pp. 540-693), Translated by Teymur Qaderi, Tehran: Mahtab.
Scarce, Jennifer, (2019a), Magnificence of Qajar: a collection of articles on culture, art and tile work of the Qajar era, Translated by Alireza Baharloo and Marziyeh Ghasemi, Tehran: Khat va tarh.
Scarce, Jennifer, (2020b), Major-General  Sir Robert Murdoch Smith KCMG and Anglo-Iranian relations in art and culture, In Persian Art by Robert Murdoch Smith (pp. 107-136), Translated by Kianoosh Motaghedi, Tehran: Khat va tarh Publication.
Seyed Mousavi, Atefeh, (2019), Association of Safavid and Qajar art from Ali Mohammad Esfahani's point of view, In Siah Qalam, the status and works of Master Ali Mohammad Esfahani by Mehdi Makinjad, (pp. 76-89), Tehran: moaseseye talif, tarjome va nashre asare honari matn.
Smith, Robert Murdoch, (2020), Persian Art, Translated by Kianoosh Motaghedi, Tehran: Khatotarh Publication.
South Kensington Museum, (1876). Catalogue of Persian objects in the South Kensington museum, Great Britain Dept of Science and Art.
Sykes, Ella C., (1910), Persia and its People, New York, The macmillan Company.
Tahvildar, Mirza Hossein Khan. (1963), Geography of Isfahan, Natural and human geography and statistics of city guilds, By Manouchehr Sotoudeh, Tehran: Faculty of Literature, University of Tehran, Publications of Institute of Social Studies and Research.
Takmil Homayoun, Nasser, (1999), Social and cultural history of Tehran, The second volume: Naseri Darul-Khilafah, Tehran: Cultural Research Office of Tehran Municipality.
Tancoigne, J. M. (2013), Lettres Sur La Perse et La Turquie d'asie, Translated by Ali Asghar Saidi, Tehran: Cheshmeh Publication.
Vaghaye-Etefaghieh newspaper, (1994), The first volume, Numbers 1-130, Tehran: National Library of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Media Studies and Research Center.
Vernoit, Stephen (ed.), (2000), Discovering Islamic Art: Scholars, Collectors and Collections, 1850-1950, London, New York, I.B, Tauris.
Vernoit, Stephen, (2004), Occidentalism, the sixth volume of Nasser Khalili's collection of Islamic art, translated by Payam Behtash, Tehran: Karang.
Watson, Oliver, (2004), Ceramics from Islamic Lands, Thames & Hudson.
Watson, Oliver, (2006), Almost Hilariously Bad: Iranian Pottery in the Nineteenth Century, In Doris Behrens-Abouseif & Stephen
Vernoit, Islamic Art in the 19th Century: Tradition, Innovation, And Eclecticism (pp. 333- 362), Leiden, Boston: BRILL.
Wills, C. J. (Charles James), (1891), In the land of the lion and sun or Modern Persia, New Edition, London, New York and Melbourn: Ward, Lock and Co.
Wilson, J. Christy, (1938), History of Iranian art in the Persian language, translated by Abdullah Faryar, Tehran: Ministry of education and industury.
Yousefifar, Shahram, (2011), Majma al-Sanaye (the experience of modernization in the royal workshops of the Qajar period), Ganjineh Asnad Quarterly, 21(83), pp. 42-64.
Zell-e Soltan, Masoud Mirza, (1987), Memoirs of Zell-e Soltan, first volume, The story of Masoudi, With the care and correction of Hossein Khadivjam, Tehran: Asatir Publication.
URL1: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/74993
URL2: https://www.nms.ac.uk/explore-our-collections/stories/global-arts-cultures-and-design/figurative-tiles-from-iran/
URL3: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O8981/jar-unknown/
URL4: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O84907/jar-unknown/
URL5: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O340221/spittoon-unknown/
Negareh Journal
Volume 19, Issue 71
September 2024
Pages 213-235

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 14 November 2022
  • Revise Date: 11 January 2023
  • Accept Date: 18 January 2023

Share

How to cite

Statistics