The first indigenous Muslim dynasty to rule Iran
following the Arab conquest, the Samanid
Dynasty was founded in 819 A.D. by Saman-
Khuda, a Persian vassal of the Abbasid Empire.
However, not until the reign of Saman-Khuda’s
great-grandson, Ismail I (892-907 A.D.), did
Samanid power become extensive, eventually
spreading outside of Iran and into Central Asia.
The coins of the Samanids were used throughout
North Asia, revealing their enormous influence
on the region. Today, the Samanid Dynasty is
renown as a time of cultural flourishing,
especially in regards to the arts of poetry and
pottery. The capital of Bukhara was also one of
the cultural centers of the empire, along with the
cities of Samarkand and Nishapur. Perhaps their
most important influence on Islamic art was the
Samanid innovation of slip painting that allowed
for more refined, controlled glazed decorations
on terracotta vessels and tiles. The Samanid
Dynasty was a period of nationalism, where the
Persian people regained power from the hands of
foreign invaders. While Samanid power gradually
waned throughout the 10th century in response
to the rise of Turkic power in Central Asia and
Afghanistan, during their rule the foundations of
a native Iranian Islamic culture were firmly
established.
This exquisite and intriguing bowl falls under the
type also known as “Samanid Pottery” since the
genre was manufactured predominantly during
the Samanid period (204/819 – 395/1005) and
within the borders of the Samanid realm, mainly
in Nishapur and Samarkand. The nomenclature
of “Slip Painted” refers to the ground slip on
which the painted decoration was applied, and to
the fact that the pigments used to illustrate the
decorative elements also had an added slip. The
advantage was that the colors were not apt to
run when fired under the clear lead glaze. The
vessels were invariably made of red or buff
earthenware as is this magnificent example.
The characteristics of the most unusual drawing
and the delicacy of the hand which brought this
zoomorphic creature to life is comparable to the
finest calligraphic splendor this genre of pottery
(or any other for that matter) has to offer. Even
more unusual is the so called “swastika” drawn
beneath the creature’s head, as if it is about to
bend down and swallow it.
The earliest consistent use of swastika motifs in
archaeological records date from the Neolithic
period. In antiquity, the swastika was used
extensively by the Indo-Iranians, Hittites, Celts
and Greeks where it was found on relics
unearthed at the site of Troy.
The symbol was found on a number of Elamite
shards in the Khuzestan province of Iran
evidencing that for thousands of years, it has
been used in ancient Iranian culture, and one
necklace with swastika motifs at the National
Museum of Iran was excavated from Kaluraz,
Guilan, and dates back to the 1st millennium BC.
Its significance was as a symbol of the revolving
sun (Garduneh-e Khorshid), Mithra's Wheel
(Garduneh-e Mehr), fire, infinity, or continuing
recreation. The oldest representation of this
motif was dated back to 5000 BC. The 8th
Century AD Masjide Jomeh mosque in Isfahan,
Iran and the Taynal Mosque in Tripoli, Lebanon
built in 1336 both have swastika motifs. The
symbol occurs sometimes as a geometrical motif
and sometimes as a religious symbol.
