13th-century amphora with confronted hybrid figures from Al-Mina, Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection

13th-century amphora with confronted hybrid figures from Al-Mina, Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection

The amphora was made in Port Saint Symeon, in the Frankish principality of Antioch, shortly before the sack of the city by the Mamluks in 1268. It features incised decoration, highlighted with malachite green and manganese brown. On the body of this piece, the artist has depicted hybrid creatures with leopards’ bodies, human heads and crescent-shaped wings. This is an example of the sphinx iconography that may be found on numerous Islamic ceramic pieces. Burāq, the mythical animal that served as the Prophet Muhammad’s mount during his night journey (the Miʿrāj), heraldic, royal and astrological representations are also part of the iconographical repertoire of amphorae from Al-Mina.

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