Imre Jakabffy (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 5. (Budapest, 1977)

FEHÉRVÁRI, Géza: A Hoard of Blue and White Sherds from the Dasht-e Kavir

dish no. 75.17 (figs. 10—11) in the Hopp Museum, represents a human figure, probably of a Christian, with a fence and flowers behind and flying birds in the sky. A very close example is in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Lane remarked about this piece, that these figures were carelessly painted, and "that the artist often left the faces blank".

26 On our example the face is neither enturely blank, nor are the details fully drawn. The figure appears to be an angel, or perhaps more likely, represents St. Francis of Xavier (1506—52), who stayed in Japan between 1549 and 51 and later lived in China and died at Sanchian near Canton. His figure often appears on 16th and 17th century Chinese porcelain. This seems to be so far the only known portrait of this Christian missionary on Persian blue and white ware. As we have seen, Persian potters at that time closely copied the decorations of Chinese blue and white porcelain; thus such a representation is not at all surprising. This piece may be dated to the late 17th or early 18th century, and is undoubtedly the work of Yezd potters. From the above we may conclude, that these group of sherds from the Dasht-e Kavir provide us valuable information on Safavid blue and white pottery, particularly on those of the later period and on the products of the kilns from Yezd. The fifty-seven pieces of these sherds must have been part of a consigment, which was probably intended to be exported to Afghanistan or to Central Asia. Furthermore, with the exception of two pieces, that of the Hopp Museum acc. no. 75.16 and DK. 23, which were made in Kirman. the rest were the products of the kilns of Yezd and may all be dated to the late 17th and early 18th century. 120