Jug

Historical period(s)
Timurid period, 15th century
Medium
Jade
Dimensions
H x W x D: 10.1 x 15.1 x 13.2 cm (4 x 5 15/16 x 5 3/16 in)
Geography
India
Credit Line
Long-term loan from the Smithsonian American Art Museum; gift of John Gellatly, 1929.8.292
Collection
Long-term loan
Accession Number
LTS1985.1.292.1
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Jade, Vessel
Type

Jug

Keywords
Gellatly collection, India, Timurid period (1378 - 1506)
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

In addition to Timurid manuscripts, the Mughals collected portable luxury arts created in Iran and Central Asia in the fifteenth century.  Owning such objects both affirmed their Persian-Central Asian lineage and provided models for Mughal artists and craftsmen.


The origin of this impresssive jade jug has been the subject of considerable debate.  Similar examples--made in metal, jade, and ceramic, with identical dragon-shaped handles--enjoyed considerable popularity during the Timurid and early Safavid periods.  On the basis of the flattened shape of the body, which is less common in Persian prototypes of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the jade jug has been attributed to Mughal India.

Published References
  • Frederique Beaupertuis-Bressand, Eleanor Sims. Ulug Beg: Le Prince Astronome. Paris. cat. 20, p. 46.
  • Assadullah Souren Melikian-Chirvani. Le Chant du Monde: L'Art de l'Iran safavide, 1501-1736. Exh. cat. Paris. cat. 182, pp. 450-451.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
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