Private Lives

Under the Turkic Seljuk dynasty of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the markets of Persia were hives of activity. During this era, cities grew, a mercantile class began to form, and artisans experimented with innovative ways of representing human figures in ceramics. Among the distinctive earthenware objects that date to the period are glazed models of courtyards that feature people drinking, playing musical instruments, and dancing. Archaeologists have unearthed only the foundations of Sel