A SELJUK PAINTED PLASTER PANEL

PERSIA, 12TH CENTURY

Details

A SELJUK PAINTED PLASTER PANEL
PERSIA, 12TH CENTURY
The rectangular panel with remains of moulded decoration above, the main flat area painted in various colours and touches of gold depicting two principal seated nimbate figures flanking a cypress tree on a ground of scrolling arabesques, further attendant figures at each side, areas of repainting especially to faces, repaired, cracked, the corners made up in plain plaster, box case with sliding perspex lid
20 x 12in. (50.5cm. x 30.5cm.)

Provenance

The Kevorkian Foundation, sold Parke Bernet, New York, 18 December 1970, lot 111.

Lot Essay

When compiling the Survey, Pope found only six small fragmentary panels of stucco painting to document. He describes all six, two of which are illustrated with line drawings in the text while two more are photographed. (Pope, A.U.: A Survey of Persian Art, Oxford, 1938, Vol.II, pp.1375-1377 and Vol.V, pl.554). Of these, one is in the Teheran Museum, one small one in the Berlin Museum, three are noted in the posession of Heeramaneck, Kelekian and Kevorkian, while the sixth, which is unillustrated and could be the present piece, is noted as being on the Teheran market at the time. While the figural style is fairly consistent with all pieces, the present one appears closest of all to the Kelekian and Kevorkian examples, particularly the other Kevorkian panel (pl.554B). The figures in the Heeramaneck fragment are considerably larger, and have clearly defined architecture in the background.

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