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Bowl

Culture
Persian
Period
Seljuk period, 1037–1194
Date
late 12th to early 13th century
Material
Luster-glazed fritware
made in
Kashan, Esfahan province, Iran, Asia
Classification
Ceramics, containers
Collection
Islamic Art
Current Location
On View, Gallery 237
Dimensions
3 3/4 x 8 3/8 in. (9.5 x 21.2 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of The Olsen Foundation
Rights
Public Domain
Object Number
68:1953
NOTES
A courtly couple sits in the center of this bowl surrounded by figures on horseback and alternating cypress trees. Representing bazm (feast) and razm (fight), this combination of images was popular in Persian art as it was considered to epitomize the idea of kingship. The iridescent surface was achieved through the technique of lusterware, or the application of metal oxides to a ceramic surface. Artists under the Abbasid Caliphate (750–1258) in Iraq developed the tradition, which was quickly adopted across the Islamic world, including present-day Iran, where this bowl was made.
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