Art History Research Lecture --- Dr Richard McClary 'Fake or Real? Questioning the Authenticity of Mina'i Ware Bowls'

Join us for Dr Richard McClary's Research Lecture on ‘Fake or Real? Questioning the Authenticity of Mina'i Ware Bowls' and a reception afterwards at 79 North Street.

Polychrome mina'i ware is one of the most popular and distinctive types of medieval Iranian ceramics. Alongside repaired authentic pieces, numerous vessels were newly made in the 20th century. These pieces continue to circulate in the art market as seemingly original vessels. This paper examines a range of distinctive forgeries of mina'i bowls by an anonymous but very competent forger. The pieces have sold for a wide range of prices, and one has recently been exhibited at several prestigious institutions around the world, highlighting both the quality of the work of the person who made them and the risks involved in collecting unprovenanced pieces of Islamic ceramics.

Dr Richard Piran McClary is a senior lecturer in Islamic Art and Architecture at the University of York. He received his doctorate from the University of Edinburgh in 2015. His first monograph, on Rum Seljuq Architecture, was published by EUP in 2017, and his second, on Qarakhanid Architecture, also with EUP, came out in 2020. His most recent book, on mina'i ware, was published by EUP in 2024. He has published articles in numerous journals, including: Muqarnas, Iran, Anatolian Studies, Persica, Iraq, and the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. He is the co-founder and managing editor of the Journal of Islamic Art and Architecture.