Interaction between Parthian Iran and Han China in the Field of Pottery: A Study

According to Parthian documents Sino-Iranian relations date back to 2500 years ago. The Silk Road was significantly under the Parthian control and facilitated Iran-China communications. The Iranians and Chinese have long known the art of pottery, and due to vast relations between the two lands under the Parthians, it is quite conceivable that immense artistic exchange in pottery techniques, forms and color had occurred. The current article seeks to describe the status of the art of pottery under the Han and Parthian dynasties and evaluate the mutual impact of these two on one another. The research aims to find commonalities and the degree to which the two civilizations bore upon each other in the field of pottery. It appears that some forms and glazes used in Parthian earthwares found their way into China, as their trace is observed on porcelain works under the Han dynasty. This research is fundamental by nature and employs descriptive-analytical method to study the Parthian and Han porcelain works. It uses library sources and archived documents in order to indicate that from mid-Parthian and late-Han eras innovative trends were observed in the two regions’ pottery craft which attests to the interaction and mutual impact of the two civilizations.