NOW AND TEN

‘In his ceramics, their forms and norms have blended together
and have reached that duality that is alive but at the same time
not of our time. A combination of advanced elements of modern
art and elements borrowed from all traditions of Persian art,
from ancient artifacts to today’s popular expressions, is indeed
a characteristic of all of Tanavoli’s works.’
(M. Sahabi, “Mysterious Duality”, in S. B. Sherill (ed.), Works of Parviz Tanavoli, Ceramics, Parviz Tanavoli,
Tehran 2010, p. 8.)
workshops in pottery factories including that of
the Bureau of Fine Arts and used their material
to make his frst ceramic sculptures. A few years
later in 1965, Tanavoli settled his own workshop
in the north of the capital, where he established
his bronze foundry and his ceramic kiln and
produced the present work, Poet and Cage in 1966.
Working mainly with bronze, Tanavoli focused on
the art of ceramics for short periods throughout
his career. As in his other works, his ceramics
reveal the duality that is the core of his signature
style, being at crossroads between his Persian
heritage, ancient art and rituals and a well-defned
contemporary style, whilst its materiality ofers a
sense of timelessness.
The ceramic kiln, built by Tanavoli, in Tehran University, 1965.
Courtesy of the artist.
With Poet and Cage, Tanavoli recalls his fascination
with the fgure of the Poet as Persian poetry was
to him the purest emanation of the human soul,
an art that overfows with emotion and elevates
the human spirit. His Poet fgure is abstracted,
made of geometrical shapes such as cubes
and cylinders, some with undecipherable script
delicately embellishing their glazed surface and
he carries a cage in his chest. The two cages and
their grills recall the traditional architecture of Iran
and in particular the votive fountains also known
as the Saqqakhaneh, which famously left an
indelible mark on Tanavoli’s style and career since
the 1960s. Widespread throughout the streets of
Iran, the Saqqakhanehs were folkloric religious
structures which provided water for passersby
to quench their thirst at no charge. They also
provided room for religious and talismanic rituals
as many would come and attach diferent objects,
most often locks to the grills of the fountains with
hopes of a better future. Throughout his oeuvre
and in the present ceramic work, Tanavoli has
used the lock; its symbolic signifcance is linked
to belief, rituals and healing and as they are
embedded in the sculpture’s body, the locks hints
at the ambiguities and intricacies of life, elevating
the sculpture to a highly spiritual level.
Executed in 1966, Poet and Cage is one of the most
delicate and most captivating ceramic sculptures
ever made by Parviz Tanavoli. Acclaimed for his
sculptures, mainly in bronze, Tanavoli developed
a passion for ceramic works from a young age,
as they were dispersed throughout the urban
landscape of his native Iran and in people’s homes,
as handmade ceramic pots, plates or bowls.
The history of Persian pottery and ceramics goes
back to the early Neolithic Age and throughout
centuries, it remained one of the most popular
arts in Iran. Due to the geographical position of
the country, being at the crossroads of ancient
civilisations and on important caravan routes,
almost every region of Iran has been involved
through history in pottery and ceramic. From
simple earthenware to ceramics decorated with
geometric designs, artists and craftsmen produced
a variety of utensils like piped pots, bowls and
jars, but also some primitive earthen statues in
the shape of animals and birds, which carried an
ornamental value. Some of the most exceptional
examples of Persian ceramics are now held at the
British Museum and the Hermitage Museum and
are widely collected privately.
When Tanavoli returned to Iran after a few years in
Italy where he trained under Marino Marini, he did
not yet have his own studio and therefore attended
Rooted in Persian folk and culture, Poet and
Cage epitomises the essence of Tanavoli’s
artistic practice, characterised by the modern
use of traditional techniques and traditional
subjects found in Persian poetry. The present
work impersonates the Saqqakhaneh style at his
perfection; it is one of the most important and
most delicate ceramic works ever made by the
artist and it is undeniably a rare collector’s piece.
Akbar and Sousan Seif Nasseri lived with the
present work for many years. As they acquired the
work from the well-known architect and decorator
Edouard Khachaturian in the early 1990s, Poet and
Cage has been one of the central pieces from the
couple’s esteemed collection.
76