Pages: 625-638

This article is in Russian
This article analyzes the Middle Eastern artistic ceramics of the turn of the 10th—11th centuries and 11th century from the Volga Bulgaria sites. Among the antiquities found in Eastern Europe, these items represent a rare and unique category of eastern imports. For a more complete characteristics and reliable attribution, chemical composition of the glaze and the clay base was determined by means of the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mineral composition of the ceramic base of most impressive artifacts was identified by the X-ray phase analysis. As a result, the origin and dating of the Mesopotamian luster-painted tableware and Iranian vessels of the 11th century of “Sari” type was determined. The emergence of the imported Middle Eastern art works in the Middle Volga Region, in my opinion, is one of the evidences of the initial stage of Volga Bulgarian urban culture formation during the 11th century.

Keywords: Volga Bulgaria, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Iran, early Islamic period, 11th century, imports, luster-painted ceramics, tableware of “Sari” type, mineral and chemical composition, urban culture

Information about author:

Svetlana Valiulina (Kazan, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University. Kremlyovskaya St., 18, Kazan, 420008, Russian Federation
E-mail: [email protected]