Reproduce minai glaze based on Javaher Name Nezami's text

Wide and massive group of pottery productions that its number is over thousands are represented with starting Islamic civilization. Pottery industry in Islamic civilization manifests itself in high level of innovation in pattern and technique that sometime in the technical point of view was very complex. One of most magnificent type of pottery that it is in historical domain from end of the Saljoughi, Kharazm Shahi and early Ilkhani, is Mina’i wares. Motifs in this type of pottery have drawn using multi colored Mina that in some cases they are panached with Gilding gold work and highlighting, underlying stonepaste and with over glaze technique. The variety of colors and iridescence of Mina’i glaze had made this glaze one of the most attractive decorative arrangement in the past and present. Studying on Mina’i potteries including hidden their techniques that a larg number of them are protected in domestic and foreign museums, always are attracted the attention of researchers; but yet because of lack of resources they are not well known. A large chapter of our information about Mina’i glaze is through the information that our predecessors have inherited in writing for ours. Javaher nameh of Nezami is including valuable heritage that historically is closest source to the time of production and popularity of Mina’i ceramics. This book that has been written by Jowhari Neyshabouri and has been edited by Iraj Afshar, is one of oldest book in Persian language about issue related to jewelry and stones, metals, alloys and types of Mina that has been written in four article.
In the fourth article of this book, titled “Mina and Talavihat” 26 sample of valuable compounds have presented in sector of “the variety of colors using on Glassware and ewer types Qashy, Isfahani, Shamy and chinese and otherwise. In fact the question that arise in this research is that is it possible to reproduce this style of the decoration based on the composition presented in Javaher nameh of Nezami? In addition to brief introduction of Mina’i pottery and Javaher nameh of Nizami, Basis of this research is recognition of presented composition and material and empirical and practical tests this writing information in order to comment about Authenticity of its presentation and to achieve critical information to reproduce this type of glaze decoration. Due to the high volume of sample in this book, only six kind of presented compositions were tested. Samples are selected by descriptive method and based on color variation and access to the material used. This research is practical and presented compositions were tested in experimental method. Results indicate that selected compositions of Javaher nameh can obtained red, black, tow type of yellow, silver and one unknown color through the technique of over glaze and third firing in the oxidation state. It should be note that one unknown color that due to unreadability of its color in Javaher Nameh face with a blank, during the experiments became dark red that it can be the correct alternative for that in this context.