Scientific Journal of Pazhuhesh-e Honar

Potteries known as “Minai” are one of the valuable types of potteries remained from middle Islamic era, which were produced between 575 and 616 AH in middle of Islamic civilization, in the late period of Seljuk and Khwarazmshahi era in Iran. Such potteries were found in works obtained from Ray, Kashan, Saveh, and in a limited number in Nishapur and Tabriz that in terms of motifs and their composition on surface of the potteries have a great importance regarding the visual relations and high visual creativity. The question raised in this study is that what are the visual features of the motif and composition of the Mina`i ware, which has a different style than before and after potteries? The current study attempts to visually analyze the motifs and compositions of the pottery which will lead to introduction, recognition, reaching and discovering the common patterns of compositions and propositions and explaining various categorization of Minai ware. The study is carried out based on the library studies, documents, and science authentic websites, by using analytical-descriptive method. The results show that the motifs of the Minai ware decorated in five categories of humans, animals, herbaceous, geometric and written mofits, and organized in six types of index compositions on the surface of Minai ware. The main spiritual of the Islamic ornaments is mostly reflected in the motifs of geometric, herbaceous, and inscriptions, and human and animal motifs are derived from the historical and literary stories such as Ferdowsi Shahnameh.