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A Sogdian Drinking Game at Panjikent

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Betty Hensellek
Betty Hensellek*
Affiliation:
Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (2017–19), New York, Cornell University
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Abstract

This article reconsiders the religio-ritualistic interpretations of the use of the rhyton within eighth-century CE Sogdiana. Through a close art-historical analysis, it argues that three eighth-century wall paintings from Panjikent illustrate a drinking game. This proposal expands the current breadth of meaning attributed to the imagery decorating Sogdian homes. Not only could the paintings illustrate epic narratives, religious veneration, or moral didacticism, but they could also celebrate conviviality, fun, and humor.

Keywords

TajikistanSogdianaWall PaintingsBanquetGamesRhytonWineDress
Type
Regular Articles
Information
Iranian Studies , Volume 52 , Issue 5-6: Special Section: Saʿdi at Large , November 2019 , pp. 837 - 857
Copyright
Copyright © Association For Iranian Studies, Inc 2019

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