The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 29, 2024

Dish with King Hormizd II or Hormizd III Hunting Lions

Dish with King Hormizd II or Hormizd III Hunting Lions

400–600 CE
Overall: 4.6 x 20.8 cm (1 13/16 x 8 3/16 in.)
Location: 116 Islamic

Did You Know?

Hormizd II's crown is distinct with its eagle form and topped with the traditional korymbos, a fine, bejeweled fabric that encases the top hair in a glob-like fashion.

Description

Lion hunting was a traditional royal sport in ancient Near Eastern cultures and was frequently incorporated into artwork, such as Assyrian (about 912–612 BC) palace reliefs. Thematically, depictions of the hunt in royal artwork bridge the pre- and post-Islamic worlds. This dish features the Sasanian ruler Hormizd II (reigned from AD 303–9), identifiable by his distinctive crown. The style of the king’s and horse’s equipment suggest that this dish was made long after he died, perhaps as a commemorative work by a much later successor, Hormizd III (reigned from AD 457-59).
  • ?-1962
    (Mrs. Elsa Rabenou [1910-2000], New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1962-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Shepherd, Dorothy G. "Sasanian Art in Cleveland." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 51, no. 4 (1964): 66-92. Mentioned: P. 73-79; Reproduced: P. 74 www.jstor.org
    Harper, Prudence Oliver. “The Heavenly Twins.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, vol. 23, no. 5, 1965, pp. 186–95. doi.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 14 archive.org
    Lukonin, V. G., and James Hogarth. Persia II. Cleveland: World Publishing Company, 1967. Plate 151
    Fukai, Shinji. Study of Iranian Art and Archaeology; Glassware and Metalwork. Tokyo: Yoshikawa Kobunkan, 1968. Pl. 41, Pl. 120
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 14 archive.org
    Hanaway, William L. “The Concept of the Hunt in Persian Literature.” Boston Museum Bulletin, vol. 69, no. 355/356, 1971, pp. 21–69. p. 62, fig. 38. www.jstor.org
    Gibbons, D.F., K.C. Ruhl and L.S. Staikoff, "Analysis of Sasanian Silver Objects: A Comparison of Techniques" Archaeological Chemistry. June 1, 1974 , 11-21. pubs.acs.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 7 archive.org
    Harper, Prudence Oliver. The Royal Hunter: Art of the Sasanian Empire. New York: Asia Society, 1978. Mentioned: pp. 38, 39; reproduced: pl. 6, p.39
    Gibbons, Donald F. et al. “Techniques of Silversmithing in the Hormizd II Plate.” Ars Orientalis, vol. 11, 1979, pp. 163–76. www.jstor.org
    Neils, Jenifer. “The Twain Shall Meet.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 72, no. 6, 1985, pp. 326–359. Reproduced: p. 338, fig. 22 www.jstor.org
    Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998. p. 28
    Drayman Weisser, Terry. Gilded Metals: History, Technology and Conservation. London, England: Archetype Publications in association with the American Institute of Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, 2000. p. 179, fig. 10.11
    May, Sally Ruth, Jane Takac, and Barbara J. Bradley. Knockouts: A Pocket Guide. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2001. p. 116
    Demange, F. Les Perses sassanides: fastes d'un empire oublié, 224-642 : Musée Cernuschi, Musée des arts de l'Asie de la ville de Paris, 15 septembre-30 décembre 2006. Paris: Paris musées, 2006. cat. no. 29, p. 89
    Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms & Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007. p. 38
    Demange, F. Glass, Gilding, & Grand Design: Art of Sasanian Iran (224-642). New York: Asia Society, 2007. p. 25, fig. 12
    Spier, Jeffrey, Timothy F. Potts, and Sara E. Cole. Persia: Ancient Iran and the Classical World. Los Angeles : J. Paul Getty Museum, 2022. Mentioned: pp. 320-321; reproduced: p. 273 and 320, fig 171
  • Persia: Ancient Iran and the Classical World. Getty Villa, Pacific Palisades, CA (April 6-August 8, 2022) https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/persia/index.html.
    Art of the Islamic World (Islamic art rotation). The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (May 21, 2021-May 31, 2022).
    Les Perses Sassanides ou les Fastes d'un empire oublié. Musee Cernuschi, Paris, France (organizer) (September 14-December 31, 2006).
    All That Glitters: Great Silver Vessels in Cleveland's Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 23, 1994-January 8, 1995).
    The Twain Shall Meet. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 30, 1985-January 5, 1986).
    The Royal Hunter: Art of the Sasanian Empire. Asia House Galleries (organizer) (January 12-March 11, 1978); The Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX (April 10-May 21, 1978); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (July 7-August 13, 1978).
    Year in Review - 1962. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 24-November 25, 1962).
  • {{cite web|title=Dish with King Hormizd II or Hormizd III Hunting Lions|url=false|author=|year=400–600 CE|access-date=29 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1962.150