EUR  â¬157.20EUR  â¬149.00 excl. VAT
Stucco in the Architecture of Iran and Neighbouring Lands
New Research â New Horizons
Series: - Arts and Archaeology of the Islamic World, Volume: 25
This volume examines stucco as a key medium of architectural ornamentation in Islamic Iran and neighbouring lands. It features articles that explore a range of sites, materials, and meanings from late antiquity through the Islamic periods. Drawing on disciplines such as art history, archaeology, conservation science, and aesthetics, the book offers new research and interdisciplinary approaches that expand current scholarship. The contributions range from focused case studies to broader methodological reflections. Originating from a 2022 conference at the University of Bamberg, the volume brings together scholars from Iran, Europe, and North America in a collaborative and wide-ranging inquiry.
The conference from which this publication originated was funded by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation.
The open access publication of this volume was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) âproject no. 399216810.
We acknowledge support by the Open Access Publication Fund of the Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg.
The conference from which this publication originated was funded by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation.
The open access publication of this volume was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) âproject no. 399216810.
We acknowledge support by the Open Access Publication Fund of the Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg.
Lorenz Korn (PhD Tübingen 1999) is professor of Islamic Art and Archaeology at the University of Bamberg. His principal research interests include architecture in the central Islamic lands between the 10th and the 16th centuries, epigraphy and Iranian metalwork.
Ana Marija Grbanovic is a Postdoc Research Associate for the German Research Foundation-funded project Iranian Medieval Wall Paintings, at University of Bambergâs Centre for Heritage Conservation Studies. Grbanovic obtained here PhD in 2023 in History of Islamic Art and Archaeology at the University of Bamberg.
Iman Aghajani holds a PhD in Islamic Art and Archaeology from the University of Bamberg (2024). His research focuses on stucco decoration in Islamic Iran and Islamic epigraphy, with particular interest in their historical content and social context.
Moslem Mishmastnehi is an interdisciplinary archaeologist with extensive experience in conservation and archaeological science. His research focuses on material culture, especially stucco decorations. He has worked across Iran and Europe and earned his Ph.D. from Freie Universität Berlin in 2018.
Ana Marija Grbanovic is a Postdoc Research Associate for the German Research Foundation-funded project Iranian Medieval Wall Paintings, at University of Bambergâs Centre for Heritage Conservation Studies. Grbanovic obtained here PhD in 2023 in History of Islamic Art and Archaeology at the University of Bamberg.
Iman Aghajani holds a PhD in Islamic Art and Archaeology from the University of Bamberg (2024). His research focuses on stucco decoration in Islamic Iran and Islamic epigraphy, with particular interest in their historical content and social context.
Moslem Mishmastnehi is an interdisciplinary archaeologist with extensive experience in conservation and archaeological science. His research focuses on material culture, especially stucco decorations. He has worked across Iran and Europe and earned his Ph.D. from Freie Universität Berlin in 2018.
Table of Contents
Foreword
Section One: A Fresh Look at Persianate Stuccos
1. Lorenz Korn: Introduction: Stucco in Iran and Neighbouring Lands. Reviving faded colours through art history and science
2. Ruba Kanaan: Matter, Mode, and Making: Stucco in the legal texts of Iran and Central Asia (11th â 13th c.)
3. Iman Aghajani and Majid Zohouri: Archaeological Studies on Islamic Stucco Decorations in the Storage of the National Museum of Iran
Section Two: Persianate Stuccos from pre-Islamic to Seljuq Periods
4. Niloufar Ehteshami and Leila Khosravi: Continuity or Discontinuity in the Stucco Motifs from Sasanian to the Early-Islamic Periods: Finds from Sites of Jahangir and Guriyah in Ilam, Iran
5. Giuseppe Labisi: Stucco Decoration in Semi-Domed Squinches. Sasanian Architectural Heritage within Early Islamic Architecture
6. Iman Aghajani: From Tradition to Innovation: Iranian Stucco Decoration from the Early Islamic Period to the Saljuq Era
Section Three: Persianate Stuccos Beyond Iran
7. Andrea Luigi Corsi: Beyond the âSamarra Stylesâ: Reconsidering the early-10th century Stuccowork in Dayr al-Suryan (Monastery of the Syrians) in Egypt as a Reflection of Post-Samarra Mesopotamian Stucco Production
8. Robert Hillenbrand: Twelfth-century stucco decoration in the Ulu Cami of Van
9. Bernard OâKane: Mamluk Stuccos - the Iranian Connections?
Section Four: Persianate Stuccos of the Ilkhanid Period
10. Elaheh Alvandian: The Unique Stucco of Sayyid Rukn al-Din Muhammad's Tomb in Yazd: A Fresh Look at Understanding the Art and Technique of Stucco during the Muzaffarid Period
11. Ana Marija Grbanovic: Some Remarks Concerning Uljaytuâs Mausoleum at Sultaniyah and its Architectural Revetments
12. Marco Brambilla: Pre-fabricated Plaster Decorations in the Mausoleum of Uljaytu at Sultaniyah
Section Five: Persian Stuccos and Tiles. The Decorative Media Symphony
13. Yves Porter and Anaïs Leone: Designing Architectural Décors in Ilkhanid Iran: Combinations of Stucco and Luster
14. Sheila Blair: Stucco Workers, Luster Potters and Builders: The case of Hasan ibn âAli ibn Ahmad ibn Babawayh al-Vidguli
Section Six: Archaeometry for a Better Understanding of Persianate Stuccos
15. Moslem Mishmastnehi and Tomasz Stawski: Crystals of Gypsum in Hands of Masters: An interdisciplinary approach to understand the chaîne opératoire of Saljuq and Ilkhanid Stuccoes
16. Meysam Labbaf-Khaniki and Atefeh Shekofteh: Technical Examination of Stucco Decorations from Bazeh Hur in North-Eastern Iran. Case Study: The High Relief of a Reclining Ram
17. Amir Hossein Karimy and Parviz Holakooei: Blue âOut of the Blueâ: Scientific Studies on the Blue Pigments Applied on Persian Stuccos
18. Stefan Masarovic: Iranian Stuccos from the 12th -14th Centuries: Material Examination of Three Monumental Figurative Panels and Two Additional Objects at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha
Section Seven: Impacting the Field: New Conservation Practices for Islamic Stuccos and Beyond
19. Yaser Hamzavi: A Contemporary Challenge for Conservators to Preserve Creative Stuccoes from the Past: Molded stuccoes of the tomb of Sayyid Rukn al-Din and Sayyid Shams al-Din in Yazd
20. Hamed Sayyadshahri and Mohammad Mortazavi: Reconstruction of the Missing Parts of Stucco Decorations: Some Restoration Experiences
Abstracts of Articles (Farsi)
Foreword
Section One: A Fresh Look at Persianate Stuccos
1. Lorenz Korn: Introduction: Stucco in Iran and Neighbouring Lands. Reviving faded colours through art history and science
2. Ruba Kanaan: Matter, Mode, and Making: Stucco in the legal texts of Iran and Central Asia (11th â 13th c.)
3. Iman Aghajani and Majid Zohouri: Archaeological Studies on Islamic Stucco Decorations in the Storage of the National Museum of Iran
Section Two: Persianate Stuccos from pre-Islamic to Seljuq Periods
4. Niloufar Ehteshami and Leila Khosravi: Continuity or Discontinuity in the Stucco Motifs from Sasanian to the Early-Islamic Periods: Finds from Sites of Jahangir and Guriyah in Ilam, Iran
5. Giuseppe Labisi: Stucco Decoration in Semi-Domed Squinches. Sasanian Architectural Heritage within Early Islamic Architecture
6. Iman Aghajani: From Tradition to Innovation: Iranian Stucco Decoration from the Early Islamic Period to the Saljuq Era
Section Three: Persianate Stuccos Beyond Iran
7. Andrea Luigi Corsi: Beyond the âSamarra Stylesâ: Reconsidering the early-10th century Stuccowork in Dayr al-Suryan (Monastery of the Syrians) in Egypt as a Reflection of Post-Samarra Mesopotamian Stucco Production
8. Robert Hillenbrand: Twelfth-century stucco decoration in the Ulu Cami of Van
9. Bernard OâKane: Mamluk Stuccos - the Iranian Connections?
Section Four: Persianate Stuccos of the Ilkhanid Period
10. Elaheh Alvandian: The Unique Stucco of Sayyid Rukn al-Din Muhammad's Tomb in Yazd: A Fresh Look at Understanding the Art and Technique of Stucco during the Muzaffarid Period
11. Ana Marija Grbanovic: Some Remarks Concerning Uljaytuâs Mausoleum at Sultaniyah and its Architectural Revetments
12. Marco Brambilla: Pre-fabricated Plaster Decorations in the Mausoleum of Uljaytu at Sultaniyah
Section Five: Persian Stuccos and Tiles. The Decorative Media Symphony
13. Yves Porter and Anaïs Leone: Designing Architectural Décors in Ilkhanid Iran: Combinations of Stucco and Luster
14. Sheila Blair: Stucco Workers, Luster Potters and Builders: The case of Hasan ibn âAli ibn Ahmad ibn Babawayh al-Vidguli
Section Six: Archaeometry for a Better Understanding of Persianate Stuccos
15. Moslem Mishmastnehi and Tomasz Stawski: Crystals of Gypsum in Hands of Masters: An interdisciplinary approach to understand the chaîne opératoire of Saljuq and Ilkhanid Stuccoes
16. Meysam Labbaf-Khaniki and Atefeh Shekofteh: Technical Examination of Stucco Decorations from Bazeh Hur in North-Eastern Iran. Case Study: The High Relief of a Reclining Ram
17. Amir Hossein Karimy and Parviz Holakooei: Blue âOut of the Blueâ: Scientific Studies on the Blue Pigments Applied on Persian Stuccos
18. Stefan Masarovic: Iranian Stuccos from the 12th -14th Centuries: Material Examination of Three Monumental Figurative Panels and Two Additional Objects at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha
Section Seven: Impacting the Field: New Conservation Practices for Islamic Stuccos and Beyond
19. Yaser Hamzavi: A Contemporary Challenge for Conservators to Preserve Creative Stuccoes from the Past: Molded stuccoes of the tomb of Sayyid Rukn al-Din and Sayyid Shams al-Din in Yazd
20. Hamed Sayyadshahri and Mohammad Mortazavi: Reconstruction of the Missing Parts of Stucco Decorations: Some Restoration Experiences
Abstracts of Articles (Farsi)
This book is directed to an audience interested in the History of non-Western Art, in artistic techniques and approaches to architectural decoration, as well as questions of heritage preservation. It will be interesting for students and researchers as well as non-specialists who are interested in these fields.