Large jar decorated with gazelles

This large jar with its gazelle motifs was originally situated in a corner of the Qubba al-Kubra (today known as the “Sala de Dos Hermanas”) of the Nasrid palace of the Granada Alhambra. It was first moved to the “Sala de los Reyes” before entering the collections of the Museo de la Alhambra during the 1940s.

Certain characteristics of the jar allow it to be dated as being from the reign of Muhammad V (r. 1362 – 1391)

It has an oval belly, on a very small flat base. This is crowned by a high conical neck, which has an octagonal mouth and a flared lip. Two handles in the shape of wings begin at the shoulder of the jar and are attached to the top of the neck. One of the handles is partly missing.

The centre of the belly is encircled by an epigraphic band in cursive script. The lower part is decorated with four mandorlas containing floral motifs. Between the mandorlas are four large “trees” encircled by garlands of small leaves. Inside these on a floral background there are some motifs in cursive script. The spaces between the triangles and the mandorlas are decorated with exquisite floral down-strokes in metallic lustre.

The main face of the jar is decorated with two gazelles facing each other, separated by a narrow floral strip. The gazelles are inside an arch formed by the junction of two palms. Each of the has one of its rear legs raised, which gives an element of movement to the scene. On the handles, enclosed by an epigraphic braid we can observe an arabesque.

On the opposite face there is again an arch formed by two palms but this one is narrower. Inside the arch is an inverted palmette surrounded by floral scrolls. Two gazelles, facing each other are to be found on either side of this arch. The colour scheme is almost the inverse of the main face. The gazelles are blue on a white background, instead of white on a blue background decorated with gilded arabesques.

On this side the handles are decorated with floral motifs only.

No other jar of this type shows such an elegant movement from converse to convex, nor such exquisite decoration, with each section in perfect proportion and harmony with the rest. This great elegance and refined decoration of this artefact led M. Casamir to state that it is “the greatest expression of ceramic art from the Middle Ages in Spain and is consequently one of the masterpieces of ceramic art as a whole”.

There was a clear evolution in proportions, decorative themes and their layout in ceramic jars of the Nasrid period[1].  These jars have no equivalent anywhere in the Muslim world and their production required great technical skill unequalled at the time. The beautiful jar has a few flaws from its firing: part of the white glazing ran during the final firing and the cobalt blue is a little fused.

It is interesting to note that certain characteristics from Oriental and in particular, Iranian lusterware - backgrounds with fine tracery, floral elements filled in with checker-board patterns, cobalt blue lustre – and from Umayyad caliphal art – dry nervous treatment of leaves, “peephole” veins festooning large triangles – are intimately intermingled on this piece.

Although their shape originated with storage jars for food and water, these particular pieces were almost certainly destined for decorative purposes. The narrow base suggests that there may originally have been a stand, perhaps in terracotta[2].

This type of jar was exported over a large region from Malaga to Egypt passing through Sicily. Even after they had finished being made, their influence remained remarkable in both literature and painting: European travellers described them in great detail on trips to Spain during the 18^th century. They were even copied by certain of the most important artists of the movement for the renewal of European arts, which began in the second half of the 19^th century. An example is the Jar with Gazelles by Theodore Deck[3]. Similar models are even being produced in Europe today in brightly coloured ceramics or metal, in order to take advantage of a certain fashion in today’s Orient and in particular Saudi Arabia.

[2] See the jar stands mentioned in for example Los Jarrones de la Alhambra, 2007.

[3] Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, inv. D 509