Publication Date
Second half of the eighth century / second half of the fourteenth century
Publication Place
-
National Museum of Fine Arts
Subject
Porcelain with opaque glaze and overglaze coloring with metallic luster.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع: حوالي 119سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
NMK 47
Record ID
object;ISL;se;Mus01_A;34;ar
Library Location
National Museum of Fine Arts
Date
Second half of the eighth century / second half of the fourteenth century
Notes
The jar resembles an amphora in shape, and belongs to the group known as “alhambra vases,” distinguished by its bulbous body, neck with a prominent lip, and flat loops. One of the vase’s loops was lost and was replaced by a bronze dragon. Supports were added to the base at a later time to keep it in an upright position. The overglaze decoration is colored with a yellowish metallic luster and focuses on the components of the vase. Vertical designs fill the panels on the long ribbed neck, alternating narrow and wide horizontal bands define the elongated body, and latticed lozenges cover the remaining loop. The limited repetitive designs are composed of epigraphic, ornamental, and floral decorations, and they have some distinct characteristics that do not appear on other vases, most notably the Kufic writing on the body that is not placed in a wide central space, and the floral decorations composed of small branches that do not have a clear internal structure. The Alhambra vase in Stockholm is considered one of the few complete vases, and when pilgrims described it for the first time during the sixteenth century as a holy relic in a church in Cyprus, it was believed that it was One of the jars used during the wedding of Canaan when Christ turned water into wine. In 1580, the vase as one of the spoils entered the possession of the Ottoman Sultan. Later, the German ambassador to the Sublime Porte succeeded in purchasing the Christian relic, and the vase passed into the possession of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II (1552-1612). When the Swedish armies invaded Prague in 1648, the vase was acquired and became part of the royal family’s treasures. During the first half of the eighteenth century, the Swedish architect restored K. Harleman added the missing buttonhole via the dragon design, and also added the bronze wreath that covered most of the bold cursive writing on the shoulder which can no longer be read.
Sample Text
Friederike Voigt “Alhambra Vase” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;se;Mus01_A;34;ar
