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400(1659756)
A Kashan pottery bowl, Persia, 13th century.
Hammer price
3 000SEK
Estimate
4 000 - 5 000 SEK

Diameter 15 cm, height 7 cm.

Provenance

From the Collection of Johan Almqvist (1940-2024). Johan spent his early years in various countries and learned many languages thanks to his father, Karl Fredrik Almqvist (1906-1982), who was a Swedish diplomat. Johan had a passion for art and travel early on. In the early 1960s, as one of his first jobs as a free-lance journalist, he traveled to the Middle East where his interest in Persian ceramics and collecting started.

He then came to be based in Japan, still as a free-lance journalist for all the major Scandinavian Newspapers as well as Springer (Die Welt and Zeitung), Swedish Television, Svensk Radio and Radio Luxembourg. He covered a large part of Asia, including The Philippines, Korea, and Vietnam.

1974 he was hired by Beijer Invest to be based in Japan.
Stockholms auktionsverk, "Klassiska", 4 December 2012, Stockholm, lot 2108.

More information

Kashan framstod under 1200-talet som ett av Persiens mest inflytelserika och högt ansedda centra för turkost glaserat lergods. Produktionen kännetecknas av en exceptionell teknisk säkerhet, där keramikerna utvecklade en glasyr med en unik, djup turkos ton som blivit ett av den islamiska keramikhistoriens mest igenkännbara signum.

Föremålen utmärker sig genom sin förfinade balans mellan form och färg: proportionerna är precisa, linjerna återhållna och glasyren applicerad med en jämnhet som vittnar om en imponerande nivå av hantverksmässig kontroll. Dekoren — från eleganta kufiska band till helt monokroma ytor — understryker den estetiska renhet som gjort Kashan-keramiken så uppskattad.

I dag betraktas välbevarade exemplar från denna grupp som mycket eftertraktade, både för sin visuella lyskraft och för den tydliga koppling de ger till Kashans roll som ett ledande och nyskapande keramiskt centrum under den persiska högmedeltiden.

British English – Revised, More Value-Driven Lot Essay on Kashan Turquoise Earthenware

In the 13th century, Kashan emerged as one of Persia’s most distinguished and influential centres for turquoise-glazed earthenware. Its workshops achieved an exceptional level of technical refinement, producing a glaze of remarkable depth and clarity that has become one of the most recognisable colours in Islamic ceramic art.

These pieces are defined by their elegant proportions and disciplined design. The silhouettes are clean and harmonious, while the glaze—applied with notable precision—creates a rich, saturated surface that reflects an outstanding command of ceramic technique. Decoration ranges from refined kufic elements to pure monochrome, allowing the turquoise glaze to dominate the aesthetic.

Today, surviving examples from this production are highly prized, valued both for their luminous visual presence and for their connection to Kashan’s role as a pioneering and culturally significant ceramic centre at the height of the Persian medieval period.

For condition report contact specialist
Christopher Stålhandske
Stockholm
Christopher Stålhandske
Head Specialist Carpets, textiles and Islamic works of art
+46 (0)708 19 12 58
Purchasing info

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