SAFAVID IRAN, EARLY 17TH CENTURY

The engraved decoration of rectangular cartouches alternating with rising and hanging lobed medallions, leaving ample space for the plain field, is closely related to a ewer attributed to Western Iran, circa 1560 (Melikian-Chirvani, 1982, no. 129, p. 297). The spirally grooved spout of our ewer is related to the design on the neck of the V&A example. A ewer in the Hermitage with similar decoration to that in the V&A, and sharing similar medallions to our example, is dated by Ivanov to the 17th century (Ivanov, 2014, no.97, pp.190-191). A further example, also in the Hermitage, is even closer to the present example, also dated to the 17th century (Ivanov, 2014, no.98, p.192).