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Lot Essay
Although monumental sculpture is virtually non-existent in the Islamic world, small scale modelling was a common product of potters in Iran in the pre-Mongol period (Oliver Watson, Ceramics of Iran, London, 2020, p.318, no.161). Lions and bulls/cows (gav), such as that offered here, were amongst the most popular subjects – perhaps with astrological significance as Leo and Taurus are zodiacal signs and the domicile of the benevolent planets the Sun and Venus (Toby Falk, Treasures of Islam, exhibition catalogue, New Jersey, 1985, p.233). These sculptures all appear to have some function - the type of which survives in most plentiful numbers are aquamaniles. The mouth of our gav is formed as a spout and was probably intended for such a purpose.
Our gav is a particularly interesting hybrid. Although the monochrome turquoise glaze, and the curled horns are fairly standard and associated with the production of Kashan, no other examples of a gav are known with a howdah on their back. The howdah on our gav is of a type frequently found on elephant figures which Gibson associates more with Raqqa because of an example in the Khalili Collection which has a ‘laqabi’ glaze (inv. POT 1285; Melanie Gibson, Takῡk and TImthal: A Study of Glazed Ceramic Sculpture from Iran and Syria circa 1150-1250, PhD thesis, SOAS, 2010).
Our gav is a particularly interesting hybrid. Although the monochrome turquoise glaze, and the curled horns are fairly standard and associated with the production of Kashan, no other examples of a gav are known with a howdah on their back. The howdah on our gav is of a type frequently found on elephant figures which Gibson associates more with Raqqa because of an example in the Khalili Collection which has a ‘laqabi’ glaze (inv. POT 1285; Melanie Gibson, Takῡk and TImthal: A Study of Glazed Ceramic Sculpture from Iran and Syria circa 1150-1250, PhD thesis, SOAS, 2010).