Illuminating the Imperceptible, Researching Mina'i Ceramics with Digital Imaging Techniques.

Oliver Watson,Dana Norris

doi:10.3390/jimaging7110233

Abstract

Mina’i ceramics dating to the late 12th and early 13th century made in the Kashan region of Iran represent a novel period of overglaze enamelling technology in ceramic history. New colours were used to produce stylistically attractive and dynamic polychrome motifs. Due to their archaeological context, and popularity in the art market since the mid-20th century, these objects often have complex conditions involving reconstruction and overpainting. The aesthetic and technological significance of these pieces warrants further study, but in practice, removing restorations can lead to structural destabilisation, requiring time-consuming and potentially unplanned for conservation treatment. To determine if it is possible to gain useful information from the study of these artworks without disturbing existing restorations, a group of objects were drawn from the Sarikhani and Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology collections. The objective of this project was twofold, first to assess the merits of the imaging techniques for understanding condition, and second to propose a protocol for imaging with the aim of encouraging collaborative projects with international partners. The techniques used in this study include digital photography under visible and ultraviolet light, infrared reflectography, and radiography. The results show that important information invisible to the naked eye can be obtained about the decorative surfaces, using ultraviolet light and infrared reflectography. Digital radiography proved to be equally effective when studying the condition of the ceramic body. The results of this project were used to produce guidance on these techniques as a collaborative documentation package for the study of Mina’i ceramics.

Highlights

In the twelfth century, the ceramic landscape of Iran was suddenly and dramatically transformed by the arrival of potters from Egypt, fleeing the political and economic chaos which accompanied the last years of the Fatimid regime
Whether or not the object will be TL tested should be considered before radiography. This technique requires a sample, and the result will only correspond to that section of ceramic [21], making it inappropriate for most Mina’i objects. The results of this project have demonstrated that combining digital imaging under visible and ultraviolet light (UV) light, infrared reflectography (IR), and radiography is a powerful tool for the non-invasive study of Mina’i ceramics
Digital images are shared, creating opportunities for international collaborative research on typology, and radiographs have been shown to be useful for understanding the structural condition which conservators can use to allocate treatment time accurately

Summary

Introduction

The ceramic landscape of Iran was suddenly and dramatically transformed by the arrival of potters from Egypt, fleeing the political and economic chaos which accompanied the last years of the Fatimid regime They settled in the town of Kashan, which stood on the edge of the great desert on the main route from the great city of Rayy in the north to the cities of Isfahan, Yazd and Kirman in the centre and south. Kashan was a small town, without a previous history of ceramic manufacture, yet within a few years it became renowned as the place which made and exported the highest quality ceramics across Iran and further afield into Islamic lands Today, it is recognised as one of the world’s great mediaeval ceramic centres for the quality of its products, its technical and artistic invention, and its trading success. Its fortunes declined along with the Ilkhanid’s in the 1340s

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