Jug, colorless and blue glass, with “pinched” decoration
Iran; 9th-10th century
H: 19 cm
The jug was made up of two parts. The decoration on the lower part, of colorless glass, was created by “pinching” each oval in shape with tongs. This explains the very irregular arrangement of these ovals. The lower part was then joined with the upper part of blue glass, which had also been shaped independently, when both were still hot.
There are several extant early Islamic glass objects that were made with this two-color technique, though their shapes vary. The shape of this glass jug, however, is familiar from others that were made in simpler techniques in the Iranian region, and similar pieces were excavated in e.g. Nishapur in a stratum that can be dated to the 10th century.
Inv. no. 9/1966
Published in:
C .L. Davids Samling. Fjerde Del : Jubilæumsskrift 1945-70, København 1970, cat.no. 22, pp. 142-143;
André Leth: Davids Samling. Islamisk kunst = The David Collection. Islamic Art, København 1975, p. 19;
Art from the World of Islam. 8th-18th century, Louisiana, Humlebæk 1987, cat.no. 21;
Kjeld von Folsach: Islamic art. The David Collection, Copenhagen 1990, cat.no. 223;
Kjeld von Folsach: Art from the World of Islam in The David Collection, Copenhagen 2001, cat.no. 305;
