Abstract:

After the prohibition of idolatry with the advent of Islam, the art of sculpture was approached very cautiously and was not seen as an Islamic form of artistic expression. However, by the time of the Seljuks, the situation had changed and the art in general underwent some changes. As a matter of fact, the previously neglected art of sculpture was given great attention and attracted the attention of artists and their supporters. As a result, a new artistic style emerged during the Seljuk period, when art found distinctive features before and after it, many new decorative themes were developed, and human statues and figurines were made with different themes. Between 1150 and 1250, a new fashion and demand encouraged the systematic production of plaster, ceramic and metal sculptures. During this period, a large number of ceramic sculptures and figurines were produced in cities such as Kâshân, Raqqa, Rayy and Isfahan. In this study, Melanie Gibson, who has written extensively on Seljuk period ceramics, translated the article “The Enigmatic Figure: Ceramic Sculpture from Iran and Syria C. 1150-1250”, which has been faithfully translated into Turkish. In addition to providing information about the content and production stages of the ceramics produced during the Seljuk period, the article evaluates fifteen ceramic figurines produced in Kâshân and Raqqa and found in various museums and collections.

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