More information about Minai ceramics from the archaeological excavations of Shamkir fortified set-tlement
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24852/2587-6112.2025.5.192.202Keywords:
archaeology, Azerbaijan, Shamkir fortified settlement, Kerpijlitepe, minai ceramics, overglaze painting, miniatureAbstract
The paper addresses the distortion of archaeological evidence, specifically the misattribution of a minai faience bowl discovered in Shamkir in 2012. The artifact was erroneously presented in the journal Archaeology of the Eurasian Steppes as originating from Kerpijlitepeh, a site located 69 km away from Shamkir. This paper also examines a collection of minai faience products from the archaeological excavations of Shamkir, which are primarily coated with milky-white glaze and adorned with painted decorations using polychrome glaze and unglazed pigments. One of the samples of this ceramics is additionally decorated with overlays of the finest gold foil. The study systematically analyzes the collection of minai ceramics, provides a detailed description of the source, and employs statistical and comparative-typological methods. The samples of minai ceramics from Shamkir date back to the last quarter of the 12th – beginning of the 13th century, are distinguished by their high artistic quality, decorated with plot images reminiscent of book illustrations – miniatures, and are interpreted as masterpieces of the Seljuk decorative and applied art. The results of this study are applicable in theoretical works on the Seljuk glazed ceramics and, in general, the decorative and applied art of the Muslim East.
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