Abstract
Pottery-making in the 3rd and 4th centuries AH witnessed remarkable progress with the invention of the golabe (glazed slip) coating made from a combination of metal oxides, leading to the production of various types of decorated pottery, including polychrome ware on a white background. The pottery known as the Sari Style represents a later group of polychrome ware distinguished by its unique coloration and decorative motifs. It was produced and marketed in local workshops along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea (Mazandaran) during the late 4th and early 5th centuries AH. These vessels exhibit distinctive qualities in their raw materials, manufacturing techniques, visual effects, color schemes, and shaping methods. They are adorned with large depictions of birds and animals set among abstract floral designs in shades of brown, mustard, yellow, and red.
       This research is based on a descriptive and analytical approach, using both library and field methods, and focuses on twelve pottery vessels in the Sari Style preserved in the museums of the Mostazafan Foundation. The study explores their functions, technical and artistic characteristics, decorative themes, and their interpretation. Two main research questions are posed: What are the technological processes and forms of these vessels? What are the thematic motifs and the quality of their execution? The findings indicate that the studied vessels, in the form of bowls and plates of various sizes, are decorated using the polychrome underglaze painting technique. Most of the motifs—whether abstract representations of birds and quadrupeds or naturalistic depictions—are inspired by the natural environment of the region and are influenced by the traditions of the Sassanian era.
Introduction
White-glazed pottery with a transparent colored coating, known as glazed slip decorated ware (golabe’i monaghash), featuring diverse decorative designs of human figures, animals, birds, plants, and inscriptions, represents one of the most important technological innovations of the 3rd and 4th centuries AH. In terms of decorative application, patterns, color schemes, and thematic motifs, these vessels can be classified into different groups, including polychrome decorated ware. The pottery known as the Sari Style, produced in the late 4th and early 5th centuries AH along the southern shores of the Caspian Sea (Mazandaran), with depictions of robust birds, abstract flowers, and Kufic inscriptions, in fact belongs to the later group of polychrome decorated ware.
       This research focuses on the manufacturing techniques, raw materials, functional uses, and sources of inspiration for the motifs of Sari Style pottery. The study employs both field and library research methods. In the fieldwork section, a collection of twelve vessels from the museums of the Mostazafan Foundation is examined and analyzed. In the documentary section, related articles, books, theses, archaeological survey and excavation reports, and online resources have been studied and compared. Considering the previous literature, this type of pottery has not been used as the primary basis for research. Its importance also lies in the fact that examples of such pottery are very rare in Iranian museums, and the presence of twelve pieces in the Mostazafan Foundation museums reflects their significance.
 
Theoretical Framework
The decorated golabe’i technique involves painting colored pigments onto a layer of slip (golabe) and then covering the pottery surface with a transparent lead glaze. The primary production centers for this type of pottery were Nishabur and Samarkand. The abundance of examples attributed to the eastern Islamic world supports the notion that this technique was among the most common in these regions. Because it was widely produced during the Samanid period and within the vast territories of that dynasty, it is often referred to as Samanid ware.
       The decorative methods, color palettes, and motifs of these wares — which include geometric, vegetal, epigraphic, figural (human, animal, and bird), and mythological designs — have allowed researchers to categorize them into six main groups: (1) black designs on a white background, (2) polychrome decoration on a yellowish background, (3) slip-coated wares in predominantly red and brown with white, green, and yellow designs, (4) black designs with yellow patches, (5) early imitative luster-painted ware, and (6) polychrome decoration on a white background. These techniques eventually gave rise to distinctive local styles, with Nishapur and Tabarestan being among the most important centers of both early and later production phases.
       One of the most distinctive of these local styles is the Sari Style, which developed in the 4th and 5th centuries AH. Inspired by elements from the local environment, these vessels are unique in their motifs, color schemes, and manufacturing techniques. They represent a late form of polychrome glazed slip decorated ware on a white background, with vessel bodies that turn red after firing due to the high iron oxide content in the local clay. In the early 1970s, excavations in Gorgan uncovered examples of this pottery, which was likely the main production center. These wares are variously referred to as rural ware, Sari ware, or polychrome ware. The most common shapes include bowls, plates, jars, and pitchers with rounded rims, all of which were wheel-thrown.
 
Discussion and Analysis
Of the twelve vessels studied, nine are in the form of bowls with short concave bases, elongated bodies, straight rims, and dimensions that are relatively consistent. The remaining three vessels are plates, which display more diversity in form compared to the bowls; one of these is a unique tripod plate with three supporting legs. Seven examples are decorated with various bird motifs accompanied by stylized tree clusters along the borders. Two pieces are adorned with a combination of inscriptions and vegetal motifs, two bear purely vegetal designs, and one features an animal motif.
       Among the birds depicted, identifiable species include the crow, pigeon, and partridge. Four other avian designs represent crested birds that may belong to the hoopoe, woodpecker, or a variety of crested pigeons. One vessel bears what is likely the depiction of a goat or wild goat (Capra aegagrus), accompanied by an inscription and a trailing floral motif. Of the four vessels decorated with stylized vegetal patterns, two also incorporate inscriptions. These vegetal motifs appear to reflect the potter-painter’s imaginative conception of the dense forests of northern Iran.
 
Conclusion
Polychrome glazed slip decorated ware on a white background developed in the late 4th and early 5th centuries AH in parts of northern and northeastern Iran. These ceramics are characterized by distinctive features shaped by the aesthetic sensibilities, cultural traditions, and socio-environmental conditions of the region. In terms of clay body, manufacturing technology, decorative themes, color palettes, and intended function, they reflect a close relationship with their surrounding environment and habitat.
       The distinguishing hallmark of Sari Style pottery lies in its motifs and color schemes, which draw inspiration from Sasanian artistic traditions while incorporating the creative interpretations of local artisans, rooted in tangible natural realities. The large depictions of birds such as hoopoes, pigeons, crows, woodpeckers, roosters, pheasants, mynas, and partridges represent native species from the plains, forests, and mountainous areas, and were likely imbued with symbolic meanings connected to the beliefs of local communities.
       Quadrupeds such as wild goats, deer, rams, horses, and cattle appear as recurring motifs, reflecting their importance in daily life for food supply, transportation, plowing, and clothing, as well as their role in fertility and reproduction. Symbolic representations of rams and fish may indicate the artisan’s awareness of zodiac signs and seasonal cycles, hinting at the beginning of a New Year or agricultural season.
       The overall composition of Sari Style motifs reveals the artisan’s desire to represent the beauty of the region’s natural landscape, blending environmental observation with personal imagination. The potter-painter depicted the dense and interwoven forests of northern Iran through abstract groves and curling, climbing shrubs. In conclusion, Sari Style pottery reflects influences from the surrounding natural environment and the artistic heritage of the Sasanian period in its clay composition, shaping, manufacturing techniques, color palette, functionality, and decorative motifs.