MATERIALS

Materials

Ceramics

Ceramics

Within the field of ceramics, China was the great source of inspiration for the Middle East. Although Muslim potters never managed to make coveted porcelain, they did invent tin-glazed earthenware: faience. They further developed fritware, introduced lusterware and underglaze painting, and mastered many other decoration techniques.

In 13th-century Iran, there were so many different types of ceramics that no comparable variation was found until the 19th century, in Europe.

Although ceramics can break, it does not decompose and cannot be recycled, so this is the group of works of art from the Islamic world that is best preserved.

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ISLAMIC ART: CERAMICS

Islamic Art: Ceramics

Item no. 4 of 52
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Earthenware bowl, painted in blue in an opaque, white glaze

Iraq; 9th century
H: 5.5; Diam: 20.5 cm

This type of elegant, curved bowl made of fine yellow clay and covered with an opaque, white glaze was the Iraqi potters’ original answer to costly white porcelain bowls imported from China. Using a method that has poetically been called “ink in snow,” the unfired glaze was painted with cobalt pigments. This technique – known as majolica or faience – was the Europeans’ finest right to the 18th century, when they learned to make porcelain.

Many of these bowls have the inscription “made by” followed by the artist’s name, which may be very difficult to decipher – as is this one. It was most recently read as “Abu’l-Baqi.”

Inv. no. 21/1965