A Sasanian Stucco Plaque in the Worcester Art Museum

The Smithsonian Institution Regents of the University of Michigan A Sasanian Stucco Plaque in the Worcester Art Museum Author(s): Perry B. Cott Source: Ars Islamica, Vol. 6, No. 2 (1939), pp. 167-168 Published by: Freer Gallery of Art, The Smithsonian Institution and Department of the History of Art, University of Michigan Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4515525 . Accessed: 14/06/2014 01:17 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. . The Smithsonian Institution and Regents of the University of Michigan are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Ars Islamica. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 62.122.73.17 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 01:17:31 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=si http://www.jstor.org/stable/4515525?origin=JSTOR-pdf http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp NOTES A SASANIAN STUCCO PLAQUE IN THE WORCESTER ART MUSEUM The Worcester Art Museum has recently acquired a fragment of a stucco revetment' rep- resenting an ibex (Fig. I). The plaque, which must originally have been square in shape, has suffered considerable damage; the hind quarters and two of the animal's legs are missing, but the remains of the right foreleg indicate that it was raised. The ibex, with its flying scarf, is shown in profile, although the large, protruding eye and curved horns are represented in front view. In the field are several deeply cut trilobate leaves resembling the oak-leaf foliage of the stucco re- liefs found at Ctesiphon.2 Presumably the orig- inal composition of which our plaque formed a part was one of heraldically paired ibexes passant and flanking a central Tree of Life motif. The stucco, which, in its present state, is of a granular texture, was undoubtedly polychromed, and al- though all of the colors have disappeared there are traces of a creamy white slip on the animal's body. During the past few years a small number of stuccoes of Iranian origin have come on the market, but the actual provenance of most of these commercially excavated pieces is obscure. The dealer from whom the Worcester Museum purchased its fragment states that it was found in the vicinity of Varamin, although he prefers not "to guarantee the authenticity of the state- ment." Our piece may be compared with an almost identical fragment, of about the same I Height, ii? inches; length, iol inches; greatest thickness, 3A inches. 2 Cf. A. U. Pope, "Sasanian Stucco, B. Figural." A Survey of Persian Art (New York-London, I938), IV P1. I72C. size, acquired some five or six years ago by the Musee du Louvre,3 which, however, is less well preserved, since the lower portion of the plaque, including the legs of the animal, is missing. The provenance of the Louvre plaque is also prob- lematical, although Salles pointed out that it corresponds more nearly to the figural panels found at Damghan4 by Schmidt than to those excavated at Kish by Watelin. Furthermore, he quotes Andre Godard to the effect that similar pieces had been found at Varnmin. It is interest- ing to note that Pope' mentioned "a series of fragmentscommercially excavated atKhuzistan" as being "on the Paris market," of which one represents "a moufflon passant wearing the pativ and surrounded by oak foliage like that used at Ctesiphon." This may possibly refer to the Wor- cester plaque. In view of the absence of documentation, the dating of stuccoes of this type remains conjec- tural, and as yet the stylistic development of this branch of Sasanian art has not been satisfac- torily investigated. Because, however, of the analogies of the animal representations to those of the hunting scenes in the large grotto at Tak-i Bustan they are generally assigned to the same period as that of the sculptured reliefs. But even these have been the subject of recent discussion as regards their date, Dr. Herzfeld6 maintaining the older dating, which places them in the reign of Khusrau II (59o-628 A.D.), against the argu- 3See G. Salles, "Bas-reliefs en stuc acquis par le Musee du Louvre," Revues des arts asiatiques, VIII (I934), I07 ff., P1. XXXIII. 4 Cf., Pope, op. cit., P1. 176B. 5 Ibid., I, 643-45. 6 "Khusrau Parwez und der Taq i Vastan," Arch. Mitteil. aus Iran, IX (I938), 9I-I58. This content downloaded from 62.122.73.17 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 01:17:31 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp i68 NOTES i68 NOTES ments of Kurt Erdmann7 for the period of Peroz (457/59-84). PERRY B. COTT ments of Kurt Erdmann7 for the period of Peroz (457/59-84). PERRY B. COTT A NOTE ON THE CEMETERY OF THE ABBASID CALIPHS OF CAIRO AND THE SHRINE OF SAIYIDA NAFISA In the cemetery of Saiyida Nafisa in Cairo there is a mausoleum which contains the tombs of the Abbasid caliphs of Cairo. Although little visited, it is of artistic importance and historical interest-as is the whole site. The mausoleum, which stands behind the modern mosque of Sai- yida Nafisa, is well known, but it is difficult to find out anything about the surroundings.' The vast area known as the cemetery of Saiyida Nafisa, or the Karafa al-kubra ("the great cemetery"), lies between the site of Fustat on the southwest, and the Mukattam hills on the east, and to the north is the mosque of Ibn Tfilfin. Immediately to the west is the site of al-Kata'i' (by the mosque of Ibn Tfiluin), dating from about 860 A.D., and south of that al-'Askar, built about 751 A.D. To the northeast of the mosque A NOTE ON THE CEMETERY OF THE ABBASID CALIPHS OF CAIRO AND THE SHRINE OF SAIYIDA NAFISA In the cemetery of Saiyida Nafisa in Cairo there is a mausoleum which contains the tombs of the Abbasid caliphs of Cairo. Although little visited, it is of artistic importance and historical interest-as is the whole site. The mausoleum, which stands behind the modern mosque of Sai- yida Nafisa, is well known, but it is difficult to find out anything about the surroundings.' The vast area known as the cemetery of Saiyida Nafisa, or the Karafa al-kubra ("the great cemetery"), lies between the site of Fustat on the southwest, and the Mukattam hills on the east, and to the north is the mosque of Ibn Tfilfin. Immediately to the west is the site of al-Kata'i' (by the mosque of Ibn Tfiluin), dating from about 860 A.D., and south of that al-'Askar, built about 751 A.D. To the northeast of the mosque 7 "Das Datum des Ta1k-i Bustin," Ar" Islamica, IV (I937), 79 ff. 7 "Das Datum des Ta1k-i Bustin," Ar" Islamica, IV (I937), 79 ff. I The following bibliography has been kindly given to me by K. A. C. Creswell: Marlizl, Khitat (Bulaq, 1270 H. [I853-54 A.D.]), II, 242. Al-Sakhawl, Tuifat al-a4bdb (Cairo, 1927), IV, Iig (on the margin of the Nafh al-tib). Al-Djabarti, Merveilles biographiques et historiques (Cairo, I889), III, 126 and 24I-42. E. J. Rogers, "Rapport sur le lieu de sepulture des khalifes abbassides," Procas verbaux du comiti de conservationt 1 884, pp. 2I-28, Ali Pasha Mubarak, Khitat al-dja- dida (Cairo, i888), V, I34. M. van Berchem, "Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum," Mlm. mission archaeol. franCaise du Caire, XIX (I894), 63-64. M. Herz, "Les Sepultures abbassides," Procas verbaux du comit6 de con- servation...., I9Io, pp. I3I-4I. K. A. C. Creswell, "Brief Chronology," Bull. instit. franCais archaeol. orientale, XVI (1919), 76 (mentions only the mauso, leum). R. Strothmann, "Al-Saiyida Nafisa," Encycl. Isldm, III (I934), 826-27. I The following bibliography has been kindly given to me by K. A. C. Creswell: Marlizl, Khitat (Bulaq, 1270 H. [I853-54 A.D.]), II, 242. Al-Sakhawl, Tuifat al-a4bdb (Cairo, 1927), IV, Iig (on the margin of the Nafh al-tib). Al-Djabarti, Merveilles biographiques et historiques (Cairo, I889), III, 126 and 24I-42. E. J. Rogers, "Rapport sur le lieu de sepulture des khalifes abbassides," Procas verbaux du comiti de conservationt 1 884, pp. 2I-28, Ali Pasha Mubarak, Khitat al-dja- dida (Cairo, i888), V, I34. M. van Berchem, "Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum," Mlm. mission archaeol. franCaise du Caire, XIX (I894), 63-64. M. Herz, "Les Sepultures abbassides," Procas verbaux du comit6 de con- servation...., I9Io, pp. I3I-4I. K. A. C. Creswell, "Brief Chronology," Bull. instit. franCais archaeol. orientale, XVI (1919), 76 (mentions only the mauso, leum). R. Strothmann, "Al-Saiyida Nafisa," Encycl. Isldm, III (I934), 826-27. of Ibn Tfilfan stands the Citadel on a spur of the Muk.attam, and farther to the north, about a mile away, is the city of al-Kahira, founded in 969 A.D., by the Fatimids. The area was used as a burial place from very early times. At first it was probably limited to a small portion of the present site, and there were houses on part of what is now the cemetery. We know that the Imam Shafi'l and Saiyida Na- fisa lived there. Saiyida Nafisa, the great grand- daughter of Hasan, grandson of the Prophet, was considered a holy woman. It has been re- lated that the Imam Shafi'l used to go to her house to collect traditions of the Prophet and that after his death his body was taken there in order that she might recite the prayers for the dead over it. She died in Ramadan 208 H. (824 A.D.), and the site of her tomb, as well as that of the Imam not far away, soon became a holy place. Eventually a shrine (mashhad) was erected over it, and the surrounding area took its name from this. Many people chose to be buried near her tomb. When, four centuries later, some members of the Abbasid family escaped the conquest of Baghdad by the Mongols (I258 A.D.), the Ma- meluke Baibars realized their political value and brought a representative of the line to Cairo. He and his descendants, known as the second dy- nasty of the Abbasid caliphs, signed their mas- ters' fatwas and gave countenance to the rulers' actions. They were technically the center of Islam and, as such, were valuable pawns, as Sul- tan Selim perceived when he conquered Egypt in 15I7 A.D. and took with him to Constantinople the last of the line, who, after having bequeathed his title and rights to the Sultan of Turkey, was allowed to return to Egypt, where he died in 945 H. (I538 A.D.). In 640 H. (1242 A.D.) Abfu Nadla, the am- bassador of the first dynasty of the Abbasid caliphs, was buried in the cemetery behind the of Ibn Tfilfan stands the Citadel on a spur of the Muk.attam, and farther to the north, about a mile away, is the city of al-Kahira, founded in 969 A.D., by the Fatimids. The area was used as a burial place from very early times. At first it was probably limited to a small portion of the present site, and there were houses on part of what is now the cemetery. We know that the Imam Shafi'l and Saiyida Na- fisa lived there. Saiyida Nafisa, the great grand- daughter of Hasan, grandson of the Prophet, was considered a holy woman. It has been re- lated that the Imam Shafi'l used to go to her house to collect traditions of the Prophet and that after his death his body was taken there in order that she might recite the prayers for the dead over it. She died in Ramadan 208 H. (824 A.D.), and the site of her tomb, as well as that of the Imam not far away, soon became a holy place. Eventually a shrine (mashhad) was erected over it, and the surrounding area took its name from this. Many people chose to be buried near her tomb. When, four centuries later, some members of the Abbasid family escaped the conquest of Baghdad by the Mongols (I258 A.D.), the Ma- meluke Baibars realized their political value and brought a representative of the line to Cairo. He and his descendants, known as the second dy- nasty of the Abbasid caliphs, signed their mas- ters' fatwas and gave countenance to the rulers' actions. They were technically the center of Islam and, as such, were valuable pawns, as Sul- tan Selim perceived when he conquered Egypt in 15I7 A.D. and took with him to Constantinople the last of the line, who, after having bequeathed his title and rights to the Sultan of Turkey, was allowed to return to Egypt, where he died in 945 H. (I538 A.D.). In 640 H. (1242 A.D.) Abfu Nadla, the am- bassador of the first dynasty of the Abbasid caliphs, was buried in the cemetery behind the This content downloaded from 62.122.73.17 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 01:17:31 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp FIG. I-STUCCO PLAQUE WITH RAM, SASANIAN WORcESTER ART MUSEUM This content downloaded from 62.122.73.17 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 01:17:31 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp Article Contents p. [167] p. 168 [unnumbered] Issue Table of Contents Ars Islamica, Vol. 6, No. 2 (1939), pp. 97-201 Front Matter A Reconstruction of the Miniature Cycle in the Demotte "Shah Namah" [pp. 97-112] Ahmed Musa and Shams al-Dīn: A Review of Fourteenth Century Painting [pp. 113-142] Some Woolen Girths from Egypt [pp. 143-150] Epitaphs from an Isfahan Graveyard [pp. 151-157] Excavations at Khwarazm, 1937-1938 [pp. 158-166] Notes A Sasanian Stucco Plaque in the Worcester Art Museum [pp. 167-168] A Note on the Cemetery of the Abbasid Caliphs of Cairo and the Shrine of Saiyida Nafīsa [pp. 168-174] Book Reviews Review: Publikationen des Arabischen Museums in Cairo 1929-1939 [p. 175] Review: untitled [p. 175] Review: untitled [pp. 175-176] Review: Catalogue Général du Musée Arabe du Caire [p. 176] Review: untitled [pp. 176-177] Review: untitled [p. 177] Review: untitled [pp. 177-178] Review: untitled [pp. 178-179] Review: untitled [p. 179] Review: untitled [pp. 179-180] Review: untitled [pp. 180-181] Review: untitled [pp. 181-182] Review: untitled [pp. 182-183] Review: untitled [p. 183] Review: untitled [p. 184] Review: untitled [pp. 184-185] Review: untitled [pp. 185-186] Review: untitled [pp. 186-197] Review: untitled [p. 197] In Memoriam: Halil Edhem Eldem (1861-1938) [pp. 198-201] Back Matter