The Parthians defeated the Seleucids towards the
end of the third century BC and went on to found
an empire that stretched from the Mediterranean
to the Indus. Formerly a Central Asian nomadic
people they
acquired great wealth through their control of
caravan cities along the Silk Route. Led by the
Arsacid Dynasty, they were Rome’s strongest
opponents in the East. The Romans disputed
territory in Syria, Armenia and Mesopotamia but
were often defeated in battle by the superiority
of the Parthian cavalry. In contrast to their hostile
relationship with Rome, the Parthians seem to
have courted the favour of the Chinese Han
Dynasty. As early as the second century BC the
Chinese explorer Zhang Qian visited Parthia and
described it as an advanced urban civilisation.
Embassies were sent in both directions and trade
with China flourished. A detailed account of
Parthian civilisation has yet to be written- partly
because so little of their own literature has
survived. Historians are forced to rely on foreign
histories and numismatic evidence. However it is
clear from the coins alone that Parthian kings
were consciously modelling themselves on their
Achaemenid predecessors and attached great
significance to the visual arts.
Glazed turquoise/green vessels are one of the
most distinctive Parthian art forms. Glazed
ceramics were extremely rare in the Middle East
prior to the Islamic period. Only in China were
glazed wares common at this early date and it is
possible that diplomatic and trading ties
encouraged this development in the Parthian
lands. Despite their dazzling beauty these wares
were used for practical purposes such as the
storage and transportation of liquids and grains.
The colour was created from copper and iron
oxides mixed in an alkaline glaze. This was
applied on top of a fine white paste so that the
reddish surface of the clay would not show
through. The shapes of the vessels reveal a
reliance on Greek and Mesopotamian forms-
although it is not easy to separate these two
traditions as the eastern Greeks had themselves
borrowed ideas from the Mesopotamians. It has
also been suggested that in their colour and
form there is some attempt to imitate metallic
vessels which were undoubtedly more expensive.
The green glaze has been likened to the patina
that bronze acquires over time and some of the
decorative elements have been compared to
twisted metal.
This amphora is exceptional for its size and the
quality of the glaze. The tone of the turquoise
becomes lighter towards the base and the
surface has a wonderful iridescent glow. It has
four handles attached to the short neck and the
upper part of the body. The rim projects slightly
and has an indented band where the glaze is
slightly darker. A ‘zig-zag’ motif runs around the
vessel just below the handles and has been
pinched- perhaps to resemble work in metal.
Four irregular shaped ovals- also pinched- have
been applied between the handles. Despite small
losses to the applied decoration the amphora is
in excellent condition. (AM)
