I first saw this Silver Bowl with seated ruler and attendants, from Iran or Afghanistan (Ghaznavid?), 11th century, State Hermitage Museum inv. S-499, St. Petersburg (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/11/Plate-Hermitage-St_Petersburg-S-499.htm) in a research paper, then found it on the museum's digital site. It wasn't referred to in the paper. Does anyone known anything about this bowl? The lions seem to have Chinese influence.
Having a throne supported by animals is typical of Sassanid enthronemnet scenes. The figures wear right-over-left coats with lapels.
Similar lapels are found on a Cup with horseman, Khwarezm c.7th-8th Century, State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Persia/StPetersburg-Cup_with_horseman.htm), a Bowl with figures in coat with lapels and hanging sleeves or shawl, 10th Century, Nishapur, Eastern Iran (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/6-10/Nishapur_bowl-Sothebys-2012-518.htm) and on Kizil cave donor figures, in coats with lapels, Tarim Basin (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/6-10/Kizil_cave_donor_figures.htm).
Does anyone know more about the attendants hats?
Druzhina
11th Century Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/11C.htm)
Interesting
All 3 figures have halos of a similar shape to the halo of the Khwarezm horseman (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Persia/StPetersburg-Cup_with_horseman.htm). A few earlier Sasanian plates have circular halos: the Strelka dish, of Khusrau I with his Court, 6th century AD (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Persia/Sasanian_Plate_of_Khusrau_I.htm), the 'Yazdgard I Plate', a Sasanian King Hunting a Stag on foot (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Ancient/Yazdgard_plate.htm) and the 'Pereshchepina Plate', a mounted Sasanian King Hunting Mountain Sheep (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Ancient/Pereshchepina_plate.htm).
Halos also appear in the Eight Kings of the Relics Story, Maya Cave, Kizil, Tarim Basin (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/6-10/Kizil_cave_205-Eight_Kings_of_the_relics.htm), Cave of the Sixteen Sword Bearers, Kizil Caves, near Kucha, Tarim Basin (halos as a dark circlular outline) (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/6-10/Kizil_cave_8_donor_figures.htm) and on a horseman and camel-rider from Dandan-Uiliq at Khotan, Tarim Basin (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/6-10/Khotan_LIX.htm) and others. These include a lot of Bhudist influence.
'Nimbus' can be used instead of 'halo' but I'm not sure what the plural is. I haven't noticed any halos on bowls with figures from Nishapur, Kurasan, Iran, 9th-10th centuries, Saffarid-Samanid period (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/6-10/Nishapur_bowls.htm).
Druzhina
Plates with figures from Persia and Central Asia (http://www.warfare.altervista.org/Ancient/Sasanian_and_Central_Asian_Plates.htm)
Thank you