Iran, Seljuq period of Iran (1037–1194) / 1200–1221
The Wade Cup with Animated Script
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs The Wade Cup with Animated Script as metalwork (Iran, Seljuq period of Iran (1037–1194) · 1200–1221).
This is known as the Wade Cup, after J. H. Wade who bequeathed the funds for its acquisition
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this metalwork as brass inlaid with silver.
The museum's collection notes: The highlight of the cup’s decoration is the inscription around the rim, which you see on the walls around you, with letters composed of human figures, animals, and birds. This is known as animated script and it developed in northeast Iran or Afghanistan during the mid-1100s and migrated westward. The inscription on the rim of the Wade Cup is the pinnacle of this form of script with its full-figure animation. The body of the cup is covered with interlacing bands of compartments containing tiny figures of humans and animals. These represent the 12 signs of the zodiac from astrology, the practice of interpreting the influence of planets and sta
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtThe Wade Cup with Animated ScriptOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.