Skip to main content

Qalyan base: C.33-1911

An image of Qalyan base
View image details

Terms of use

The low-resolution images published on this Website are made available under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (CC BY-NC-ND). For more details: Fitzwilliam Terms of Use

This licence does not include any images of works that are still in copyright. Artistic copyright extends from the life of the artist to 70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the artist died.

Download this image

For further information on use of images or to license a high resolution version, please contact our image library who can discuss terms and fees.

Alternative views

An image of Qalyan base
An image of Qalyan base
An image of Qalyan base
Current Location: Gallery 33

Maker(s)

Potter: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Fritware, mould made, washed with blue and painted with white slip on the exterior under a pitted colourless glaze
Shape: pear shaped body with a short spout on the upper section, collared neck flaring into a flanged rim, sits on a low foot ring
Exterior: on the rim and lower neck a criss-cross pattern is painted. On the body lobbed medallions contain trelliswork in an arabesque form. Glaze covers the base except for the rim; the underside of the foot ring is not slipped but covered with a colourless glaze.
Interior: visible sections not slipped but covered with a colourless glaze

Notes

History note: From the Joseph Dixon Collection, sold at Christie’s, 16th-17th March, 1911, lot 120, sold with another object for 5.5 guineas

Legal notes

Given by The Friends of The Fitzwilliam Museum

Measurements and weight

Height: 28.1 cm
Weight: 1252 g
Width: 19.3 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1911-03-20) by The Friends of the Fitzwilliam Museum

Dating

17th Century
Circa 1600 - Circa 1699

School or Style

Safavid (1501-1738)

Components of the work

Exterior composed of slip ( except the underside of the foot ring) slip ( white, painted to form surface design)
Base Diameter 11 cm
Rim Diameter 6.9 cm

Materials used in production

colourless, pitted Glaze
Fritware

Techniques used in production

Moulding : Fritware, mould made, washed with blue and painted with white slip on the exterior under a pitted colourless glaze
Glazing (coating)

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: rectangular paper label with serrated edge on all but the top edge

  • Text: ‘120/2’ (hand written in pencil), printed red line
  • Location: Exterior base (underside of foot ring)
  • Method of creation: Printed, hand written in pencil
  • Type: Label

Inscription present: painted directly onto vessel surface

  • Text: ’12.’
  • Location: Exterior base (underside of foot ring)
  • Method of creation: Hand painted in black
  • Type: Inscription

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.33-1911
Primary reference Number: 74564

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 25 March 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Qalyan base" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/74564 Accessed: 2025-12-06 19:01:38

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/74564 |title=Qalyan base |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-06 19:01:38|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

API call for this record

To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:

https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-74564

Bootstrap HTML code for reuse

To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:

<div class="text-center">
    <figure class="figure">
        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa16/C_33_1911_281_29.jpg"
        alt="Qalyan base"
        class="img-fluid" />
        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Qalyan base</figcaption>
    </figure>
</div>

Sign up for updates

Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...

University of Cambridge Museums logo
Cambridge City Council logo
Arts Council England Logo
Research England logo