Stucco Niches

These stucco niches were uncovered in situ in one of the rooms of the so-called Great Palace of Kubad Abad; they are placed side by side in rows. That their location and position are known casts light onto the function and place of the stucco works, at least some of them, decorating the Seljuk palaces. Where the niches join the wall they are bounded by two borders, the concave one of which features multi-lobed rosettes and the other twelve-pointed stars. The decoration separating the tiers of niches is the same as that on the concave border. The spandrels of the multi-lobed arches are framed with mouldings and decorated with a peacock figure. The figures are rendered high on a background of a few palmettes and rumis and they feature details like crests, beaks, legs and wings as well as the multi-foiled tails extend up and down.