Re-examining the ‘Royal Style’: a Study of Sherds and Restored Bowls of a Distinctive Type of Mīnāʾī Ware

Abstract This article examines the extant corpus of a distinctive sub-group of the overglaze painted Iranian ceramics known as Mīnāʾī ware. Through the study of both sherds and restored vessels the key elements of this type, mostly featuring monumental figures, are identified. In addition, a number of similar but not directly related pieces are studied in order to understand the wider context. The extensive amount of restoration that this type of ware has often experienced is addressed, and is the reason for using the small corpus of mostly unpublished sherds as a control group.