A rare Nishapur 'yellow staining black' slip-painted pottery bowl Persia, 10th CenturyA rare Nishapur 'yellow staining black' slip-painted pottery bowl Persia, 10th Centuryof conical form on a short foot, decorated in olive-green, red and black with yellow staining on a cream ground with an ibex to the well, the sides with a series of arcades containing ibex, the exterior with a band of foliate motifs, in fitted box 27.5 cm. diam.ProvenanceAcquired at Mansour Gallery, London in April 2013.The symbolic and religious significance of the ibex in pre-Islamic Iran is unclear, although some argue that it was integral to a pre-Islamic creation narrative. According to Zoroastrian belief, Mashya and Mashyana were the first man and woman whose procreation gave rise to the human race. In Yasht 14 of The Avesta, the god of victory, Verethragna, appears to Zarathushtra in various animal forms, including that of a male ibex.Important Notice to BuyersSome countries e.g., the US, prohibit or restrict the purchase by its citizens (wherever located) and/or the import of certain types of Iranian-origin works. As a convenience to buyers, Bonhams has marked with the symbol R all lots of Iranian (Persian) origin. It is each buyer's responsibility to ensure that they do not bid or import a lot in contravention of the sanctions or trade embargoes that apply to them.