Mina’i Ware: A Reassessment and Comprehensive Study of Iranian Polychrome Overglaze Wares Through Sherds

Mina’i, or polychrome overglaze, ware was made in Iran between the late 12th and the early 13th centuries. However, most pieces in museums have in fact been rebuilt, often from pieces of multiple different vessels with extensive plaster fill and modern overpaint. Only by closely examining unrestored archaeological sherds - genuine fragments of pots - can we build an authentic picture of what mina’i ware actually looked like. In this innovative book, Richard P. McClary studies sherds in collections around the world to help us to understand the production, decoration and distribution of the wares. He then examines the increased popularity of mina’i ware from the late-19th to the mid-20th century, with a focus on the dealers, collectors and curators, as well as the various types of faking, restoration, repair and conservation that has occurred over the last century.

Richard Piran McClary is a Senior Lecturer in Islamic Art and Architecture, in the History of Art Department of the University of York. He has published two previous monographs; Medieval Monuments of Central Asia. Qarakhanid Architecture of the 11th and 12th Centuries (Edinburgh University Press, 2020), and Rum Seljuq Architecture 1170-1220. The Patronage of Sultans (Edinburgh University Press, 2017). He has published articles in numerous journals, including; Muqarnas, Iran, Der Islam, International Journal of Islamic Architecture and the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. His research has been supported by the Leverhulme Trust, The Gulbenkian Foundation, The British Institute of Persian Studies, The Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science, and the British Academy.