Mina’i Ware

Examines the production, distribution, reception and repair of mina’i ware

• Addresses an important but still poorly understood type of medieval Iranian ceramic
• Defines the true scope of the extant corpus, and demonstrates the incredible diversity of styles, with an entirely new taxonomic classification system
• Utilises the unimpeachable unaltered corpus of unrestored archaeological fragments
• Highlights the importance of mina’i ware for the understanding of the development of Persian miniature painting
• Beautifully illustrated with over 160 images

Mina’i, or polychrome overglaze, ware was made in Iran between the late 12th and the early 13th centuries. However, most pieces in museums have in fact been rebuilt, often from pieces of multiple different vessels with extensive plaster fill and modern overpaint. Only by closely examining unrestored archaeological sherds – genuine fragments of pots – can we build an authentic picture of what mina’i ware actually looked like.

In this innovative book, Richard P. McClary studies sherds in collections around the world to help us to understand the production, decoration and distribution of the wares. He then examines the increased popularity of mina’i ware from the late-19th to the mid-20th century, with a focus on the dealers, collectors and curators, as well as the various types of faking, restoration, repair and conservation that has occurred over the last century.