Lusterware Bowl

This partial ceramic bowl and the six fragments associated with it are made of relatively thin clay with a green and brown design coated in an iridescent glaze. The center of the bowl features an abstract geometric design with large brown dots and swirls in negative space. The wall of the bowl and the accompanying fragments reveal that the sides are delineated by green and brown colored bands. An epigraphic band marks the upper portion of the bowl’s inside wall, with a swirl pattern that matches the central design in negative space. Here, the word Allah is visible in bubble writing. Though not clearly pictured here, the largest fragment suggests that the exterior of the bowl is glazed with an equally intricate design as the inside.

-Jinette Jimenez ’21, JIAAW Records and Collections Assistant

See other examples of Islamic epigraphic ceramics and learn more about ceramics in the Ancient Islamic World:

Bowl with Leopard | The Met
Bowl The profile of this fine bowl, with its straight, low, hollow foot; a transitional section between the foot and the body that splays outward; and straight, flaring sides, makes it typical of the ceramic objects decorated with luster paint by Kashan workshops in the early thirteenth century

Bowl with Arabic Inscription,
Bowl This bowl exemplifies the distinctive group of Samanid-era ceramics, known as epigraphic wares, which have calligraphy as their major form of decoration.

Ceramic Arts of the Islamic World
The evolution of techniques and design of early Islamic ceramics Islamic Art and Architectural Historian, SOAS Alumna Photo by Bilal Randeree. This article sheds light on the evolution of techniques and the design of these early Islamic ceramics and how during a series of migrations to new geographical locations, Islamic potters adapted the ceramic tradition to these new lands.