A Genealogy of Femininity in Human Figures of Nishapur Slip-Painted Pottery

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Forough Khorashadi 1
Sorour Khorashadi 2
1 Master of Art Research
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
10.48311/eijh.2026.119681.82853
Abstract
Nishapur slip-painted pottery (9th-10th centuries CE) features human figures traditionally classified by secondary signifiers like clothing, often overlooking anatomical indicators. Adopting a Foucauldian genealogical approach, this research addresses the methodological gap in gender identification through meticulous observation of scarce signs. By identifying visual indicators of femininity-specifically linear depictions and contours in the upper torso- this study proposes novel criteria for gender classification. To substantiate this, the inscription of femininity is traced historically: from prehistoric clay figurines to ancient Iranian traditions, the Sasanian period, early Islamic wares, and later Iranian art. This genealogical tracing reveals the contingent and discontinuous recurrence of specific linear strategies for inscribing femininity in the upper torso, a visual grammar which emerged heterogeneously rather than as a single tradition. Employing a comparative-analytical method with library and digital sources, the study examines approximately 50 figures. Findings indicate that femininity is conveyed primarily through specific linear representations and contours in the upper torso, rather than relying solely on garments. Among the examined figures, only two key specimens exhibit these recurrent linear signifiers (concentric circles and rounded contours). Consequently, the majority of other motifs, lacking these specific anatomical signifiers, are reinterpreted here as likely representing young male courtiers or adorned “ghulāms” within the Samanid visual regime. These results challenge earlier costume-based classifications and frame femininity in Iranian visual culture as a historically contingent yet recurrent discourse shaped by shifting regimes of power

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