Chapter 21 - Carved Letters, Designs and Ornaments: Ilkhanid Stuccos and ‘Signatures’ of their Craftsmen

Summary

Although Islamic stuccos have historically been one of the least researched media, there has recently been an upsurge in scholarly interest in the subject. These revetments occur across a wide chronological span running from the early Islamic period to Timurid times, and in a broad geographical spectrum spanning from Spain to Central Asia. In Iran and Central Asia, the use of stucco dates back to at least the Achaemenid and Parthian periods, and it continued to be important throughout Sassanid times. Pre-Islamic stucco production technology and aesthetics continued into the early Islamic times, when masterpieces such as the Na'in Friday mosque (stucco dated to c. 350/960), the Nuh Gunbad mosque near Balkh (third/eighth–fourth/tenth centuries), the structures of Nishapur (fourth/tenth–sixth/twelfth centuries), the later stuccos of the Shir-i Kabir tomb in Mashhad-i Misriyyan (fifth/eleventh century) in modern Turkmenistan and the Zuzan mosque stucco mihrab (probably fifth/eleventh–sixth/twelfth century) were produced. Stucco production technology and aesthetics reached their apogee in the Seljuq and Ilkhanid periods, when they were produced by numerous groups of craftsmen for religious and secular monuments. While stuccos of these two dynasties have been considered as separate subjects and understood to have been interrupted by the Mongol invasions, Ilkhanid craftsmen inherited the long-standing tradition and knowledge of stucco art from their predecessors. The publications on which the understanding of the Ilkhanid stucco has been based are the monograph by Wilber, as well as the works of Blair, O’Kane and Paone. New examinations of Ilkhanid stuccos in Iran and its neighbouring lands relating to preservation, production and decorative aesthetics, craftsmen's identities, mobility and workshop composition have also been published recently. One peculiar aspect of Ilkhanid stuccos is the frequent occurrence of craftsmen's signatures on their work. This appears to reflect changes in their social status, and the signatures provide evidence to support hypotheses of workshop mobility, indirect dating, as well as family ties between craftsmen. The specific nature of stucco production and design transfer appear to be reflected in the signatures and identity of signatory artists, as do their professions.

This article proposes new information concerning the identity, mobility and professional roles of stucco artisans, as evidenced in the stucco works and determined by means of art historical examination of the artistic techniques and decorative programmes, with particular focus on and a close analysis of craftsmen's signatures.