Persian Pottery in the First Global Age: the Sixteenth and Seventeeth Centuries studies the ceram... more Persian Pottery in the First Global Age: the Sixteenth and Seventeeth Centuries studies the ceramic industry of Iran in the Safavid period (1501–1732) and the impact which the influx of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, heightened by the activities of the English and Dutch East Indies Companies after c. 1700, had on local production.
The multidisciplinary approach of the authors (Lisa Golombek, Robert B. Mason, Patricia Proctor, Eileen Reilly) leads to a reconstruction of the narrative about Safavid pottery and revises commonly accepted notions. The book includes easily accessible reference charts to assist in dating and provenancing Safavid pottery on the basis of diagnostic motifs, potters’ marks, petrofabrics, shapes, and Chinese models.
The glazed ceramics produced in the Islamic world are of tremendous importance to the fields of a... more The glazed ceramics produced in the Islamic world are of tremendous importance to the fields of art-history, archaeology and the history of technology. Unfortunately their study has been beset by three major problems. Firstly, problems existed with the chronological and typological ordering of the various types, particularly in the relationship between different regions. Secondly, debilitating problems existed regarding the identification of centres of production for these wares. Although there is some documentary and archaeological evidence it has not been enough in the overwhelming majority of cases to link ceramic types to particular centres with any certainty. Thirdly, technical studies of these wares have previously focused on a few types, while most important technological questions have gone unanswered. Such questions include the origins of tin-opacified glazes, stonepaste bodies, underglaze painting, and other techniques.
This study is aimed at approaching these three problems, focusing on the period from the beginning of the Islamic period, up until circa 1250. Three chief methodologies have been used. Standard archaeological approaches to pottery classification are used to create a seriated ceramic typology, including study of forms and motif assemblages. The application of the scanning electron microscope with attached facilities is aimed at unraveling technological questions. Petrographic analysis is the chief means of characterization and identification of kiln-sites. For the petrographic study, new criteria for separating petrographic groups were developed for study of the stonepaste-bodied wares. The special strength of this work is its multi-disciplinary nature, as the three strands of the research correlate closely. For instance without an accurately dated ceramic typology it would have been impossible to put the provenance and particularly the technological findings into context.
The resulting picture is of an artistically and technically dynamic industry centralized in a very few specialized centres, with the rest of the ceramic industry forming a traditional and derivative backdrop.
This article presents evidence for attributing a large series of Persian cuerda seca tile arches ... more This article presents evidence for attributing a large series of Persian cuerda seca tile arches to the Safavid "Pavilion of the Stables" in Isfahan. The pictorial panels, stylistically datable to c. 1680, depict a wide range of subjects, drawn from both Persian literature and contemporary Safavid life. This is a work in progress for which the authors would appreciate feedback.
"The microstructures and chemical compositions of stonepaste bodies from the Islamic Middle East,... more "The microstructures and chemical compositions of stonepaste bodies from the Islamic Middle East,
typically produced from a mixture of ten parts crushed quartz, one part crushed glass and one part white
clay, are investigated using analytical scanning electron microscopy. For comparison, replicate stonepaste
bodies are produced in the laboratory at firing temperatures in the range 900e1200 C, and are similarly
examined. The stonepaste bodies are divided into four primary microstructural groups that reflect the
increasing reaction during firing of the glass fragments with the clay and quartz particles. The observed
microstructures are then used to assess the geographical and chronological variations in the production
technology of stonepaste ceramics from Egypt, Syria, Iran, Uzbekistan and Turkey, spanning the period
from 11th to 17th centuries AD."
in Andrew Shortland, Ian C Freestone and Thilo Rehren (eds) From Mine to Microscope: Advances in the Study of Ancient Technology, Oxbow Books, Oxford: 43-50., 2009
Introduction: The Abrahamic faiths, being Judaism, Christianity and Islam, have a long tradition ... more Introduction: The Abrahamic faiths, being Judaism, Christianity and Islam, have a long tradition of seeking God in the desert. Hence it is understandable that in the early Byzantine period a number of monasteries were founded in the desert for their residents to retreat from mundane existence and take up a life of reflection (Hirschfeld 1992). One of these is in the mountains of the Syrian desert, 90km north of Damascus, and is named after St. Moses the Abyssinian - Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi. Unusually, the monastery survived the uncertainties around the incorporation of Syria into the Islamic world in AD 634-635, and also the Crusades from 1098 onwards, until it was finally abandoned in the nineteenth century. A community was re-established at the site in the 1980s, and it is a functioning monastery again.
in K. Grzymski & J. Anderson, Hambukol Excavations 1986-1989, Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities Publication XVI, Benben Publications, Toronto: 147-151, 189., 2001
Persian Pottery in the First Global Age: the Sixteenth and Seventeeth Centuries studies the ceram... more Persian Pottery in the First Global Age: the Sixteenth and Seventeeth Centuries studies the ceramic industry of Iran in the Safavid period (1501–1732) and the impact which the influx of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, heightened by the activities of the English and Dutch East Indies Companies after c. 1700, had on local production.
The multidisciplinary approach of the authors (Lisa Golombek, Robert B. Mason, Patricia Proctor, Eileen Reilly) leads to a reconstruction of the narrative about Safavid pottery and revises commonly accepted notions. The book includes easily accessible reference charts to assist in dating and provenancing Safavid pottery on the basis of diagnostic motifs, potters’ marks, petrofabrics, shapes, and Chinese models.
The glazed ceramics produced in the Islamic world are of tremendous importance to the fields of a... more The glazed ceramics produced in the Islamic world are of tremendous importance to the fields of art-history, archaeology and the history of technology. Unfortunately their study has been beset by three major problems. Firstly, problems existed with the chronological and typological ordering of the various types, particularly in the relationship between different regions. Secondly, debilitating problems existed regarding the identification of centres of production for these wares. Although there is some documentary and archaeological evidence it has not been enough in the overwhelming majority of cases to link ceramic types to particular centres with any certainty. Thirdly, technical studies of these wares have previously focused on a few types, while most important technological questions have gone unanswered. Such questions include the origins of tin-opacified glazes, stonepaste bodies, underglaze painting, and other techniques.
This study is aimed at approaching these three problems, focusing on the period from the beginning of the Islamic period, up until circa 1250. Three chief methodologies have been used. Standard archaeological approaches to pottery classification are used to create a seriated ceramic typology, including study of forms and motif assemblages. The application of the scanning electron microscope with attached facilities is aimed at unraveling technological questions. Petrographic analysis is the chief means of characterization and identification of kiln-sites. For the petrographic study, new criteria for separating petrographic groups were developed for study of the stonepaste-bodied wares. The special strength of this work is its multi-disciplinary nature, as the three strands of the research correlate closely. For instance without an accurately dated ceramic typology it would have been impossible to put the provenance and particularly the technological findings into context.
The resulting picture is of an artistically and technically dynamic industry centralized in a very few specialized centres, with the rest of the ceramic industry forming a traditional and derivative backdrop.
This article presents evidence for attributing a large series of Persian cuerda seca tile arches ... more This article presents evidence for attributing a large series of Persian cuerda seca tile arches to the Safavid "Pavilion of the Stables" in Isfahan. The pictorial panels, stylistically datable to c. 1680, depict a wide range of subjects, drawn from both Persian literature and contemporary Safavid life. This is a work in progress for which the authors would appreciate feedback.
"The microstructures and chemical compositions of stonepaste bodies from the Islamic Middle East,... more "The microstructures and chemical compositions of stonepaste bodies from the Islamic Middle East,
typically produced from a mixture of ten parts crushed quartz, one part crushed glass and one part white
clay, are investigated using analytical scanning electron microscopy. For comparison, replicate stonepaste
bodies are produced in the laboratory at firing temperatures in the range 900e1200 C, and are similarly
examined. The stonepaste bodies are divided into four primary microstructural groups that reflect the
increasing reaction during firing of the glass fragments with the clay and quartz particles. The observed
microstructures are then used to assess the geographical and chronological variations in the production
technology of stonepaste ceramics from Egypt, Syria, Iran, Uzbekistan and Turkey, spanning the period
from 11th to 17th centuries AD."
in Andrew Shortland, Ian C Freestone and Thilo Rehren (eds) From Mine to Microscope: Advances in the Study of Ancient Technology, Oxbow Books, Oxford: 43-50., 2009
Introduction: The Abrahamic faiths, being Judaism, Christianity and Islam, have a long tradition ... more Introduction: The Abrahamic faiths, being Judaism, Christianity and Islam, have a long tradition of seeking God in the desert. Hence it is understandable that in the early Byzantine period a number of monasteries were founded in the desert for their residents to retreat from mundane existence and take up a life of reflection (Hirschfeld 1992). One of these is in the mountains of the Syrian desert, 90km north of Damascus, and is named after St. Moses the Abyssinian - Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi. Unusually, the monastery survived the uncertainties around the incorporation of Syria into the Islamic world in AD 634-635, and also the Crusades from 1098 onwards, until it was finally abandoned in the nineteenth century. A community was re-established at the site in the 1980s, and it is a functioning monastery again.
in K. Grzymski & J. Anderson, Hambukol Excavations 1986-1989, Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities Publication XVI, Benben Publications, Toronto: 147-151, 189., 2001
in P. A. Miglus et al., ar-Raqqa I. Die Frühislamische Keramik von Tall Aswad, Deutschen Archäologischen Institut Damaskus, verlag Philipp von Zabern, Mainz am Rhein: 139-142, tafel 123-124., 1999
International Symposium on Archaeometry ISA2018, 2018
Many Zapotec urns, especially those representing the deity Cociyo, were produced in series of fou... more Many Zapotec urns, especially those representing the deity Cociyo, were produced in series of four or five in response to an ancient worldview with ritual implications. When these urns were discovered, they were often disassociated into different collections. The striking similarities between the Berlin Urn (IVCa 26836, Ethnologisches Museum Berlin) and the Canadian urn (HM 1953, Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)) raised the possibility that they were part of the same set. Within the project “Real Fake: The Story of a Zapotec Urn”, HM 1953 was analyzed by thermoluminescence dating (TL), thin-section petrography and X-ray fluorescence i.a. The results show that this urn is a very complex object consisting of authentic and “added” parts. To compare the Berlin Urn to the Canadian one, the Berlin urn has been analyzed by similar methods. Thin-section petrography has been done at ROM's laboratory in Canada and micro-XRF and thermoluminescence dating were performed in Berlin.
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Books by Robert Mason
The multidisciplinary approach of the authors (Lisa Golombek, Robert B. Mason, Patricia Proctor, Eileen Reilly) leads to a reconstruction of the narrative about Safavid pottery and revises commonly accepted notions. The book includes easily accessible reference charts to assist in dating and provenancing Safavid pottery on the basis of diagnostic motifs, potters’ marks, petrofabrics, shapes, and Chinese models.
This study is aimed at approaching these three problems, focusing on the period from the beginning of the Islamic period, up until circa 1250. Three chief methodologies have been used. Standard archaeological approaches to pottery classification are used to create a seriated ceramic typology, including study of forms and motif assemblages. The application of the scanning electron microscope with attached facilities is aimed at unraveling technological questions. Petrographic analysis is the chief means of characterization and identification of kiln-sites. For the petrographic study, new criteria for separating petrographic groups were developed for study of the stonepaste-bodied wares. The special strength of this work is its multi-disciplinary nature, as the three strands of the research correlate closely. For instance without an accurately dated ceramic typology it would have been impossible to put the provenance and particularly the technological findings into context.
The resulting picture is of an artistically and technically dynamic industry centralized in a very few specialized centres, with the rest of the ceramic industry forming a traditional and derivative backdrop.
Papers by Robert Mason
typically produced from a mixture of ten parts crushed quartz, one part crushed glass and one part white
clay, are investigated using analytical scanning electron microscopy. For comparison, replicate stonepaste
bodies are produced in the laboratory at firing temperatures in the range 900e1200 C, and are similarly
examined. The stonepaste bodies are divided into four primary microstructural groups that reflect the
increasing reaction during firing of the glass fragments with the clay and quartz particles. The observed
microstructures are then used to assess the geographical and chronological variations in the production
technology of stonepaste ceramics from Egypt, Syria, Iran, Uzbekistan and Turkey, spanning the period
from 11th to 17th centuries AD."
The multidisciplinary approach of the authors (Lisa Golombek, Robert B. Mason, Patricia Proctor, Eileen Reilly) leads to a reconstruction of the narrative about Safavid pottery and revises commonly accepted notions. The book includes easily accessible reference charts to assist in dating and provenancing Safavid pottery on the basis of diagnostic motifs, potters’ marks, petrofabrics, shapes, and Chinese models.
This study is aimed at approaching these three problems, focusing on the period from the beginning of the Islamic period, up until circa 1250. Three chief methodologies have been used. Standard archaeological approaches to pottery classification are used to create a seriated ceramic typology, including study of forms and motif assemblages. The application of the scanning electron microscope with attached facilities is aimed at unraveling technological questions. Petrographic analysis is the chief means of characterization and identification of kiln-sites. For the petrographic study, new criteria for separating petrographic groups were developed for study of the stonepaste-bodied wares. The special strength of this work is its multi-disciplinary nature, as the three strands of the research correlate closely. For instance without an accurately dated ceramic typology it would have been impossible to put the provenance and particularly the technological findings into context.
The resulting picture is of an artistically and technically dynamic industry centralized in a very few specialized centres, with the rest of the ceramic industry forming a traditional and derivative backdrop.
typically produced from a mixture of ten parts crushed quartz, one part crushed glass and one part white
clay, are investigated using analytical scanning electron microscopy. For comparison, replicate stonepaste
bodies are produced in the laboratory at firing temperatures in the range 900e1200 C, and are similarly
examined. The stonepaste bodies are divided into four primary microstructural groups that reflect the
increasing reaction during firing of the glass fragments with the clay and quartz particles. The observed
microstructures are then used to assess the geographical and chronological variations in the production
technology of stonepaste ceramics from Egypt, Syria, Iran, Uzbekistan and Turkey, spanning the period
from 11th to 17th centuries AD."