THE PIGMENTS APPLIED TO ISLAMIC MINAI WARES AND THE CORRELATION WITH CHINESE BLUE-AND-WHITE PORCELAIN

Fourteen Minai sherds and one sherd of lajvardina (12th to 13th centuries AD) from several archaeological sites in Iran and Egypt are analysed to clarify the colourants used and the technology of the coloured enamels. The manufacturing process of the coloured enamels and the correlation of the cobalt blue pigment with that used on Chinese blue-and-white porcelain are discussed, based on microscopic examination and chemical composition analysis. This reveals that various processes were used to make the coloured enamels and the tin-opacified lead-alkali glaze of the Minai ware, close to the description given by Abu'l Qasim. Chemical analyses indicate that hematite, chromite, tin oxide, manganese dioxide, copper oxide and cobalt oxide are the colourants for the coloured enamels. Further analysis confirms that the blue pigment applied to Chinese Yuan dynasty blue-and-white porcelain is the same as that used for Minai wares, which probably came from the village of Qamsar, in Kashan County, Iran. It was called sulaimani in Iran and sumali, sumani or suboni blue in China.