Lot 78B
Near East, Iran, Samanid Dynasty, Nishapur or Samarqand, ca. 10th century CE. A striking terracotta bowl glazed with a black-on-white Arabic calligraphic motif in two rows on its exterior and a wavy line around its rim. White glaze covers the interior and most of the exterior, ending above the foot. Samanid potters invented slip-painted ware, achieving a beautiful clarity of design; see, for example, the perfect edges on the letters here. They used a white englobe (a thin slip wash) to cover red earthenware and then painted an inscription in a brownish pigment mixed with slip. Adding slip to the pigment prevented it from running. The perfect style of the calligraphy, with its stylized long shafts and angular letters, demonstrates a close relationship between the potter and the calligrapher. Size: 7.5" W x 5.05" H (19 cm x 12.8 cm)
The inscriptions on bowls like this one are Arabic proverbs - in fact, some of the first extant examples that appear in the Islamic world. Each inscription is read by turning the bowl counterclockwise. Some of these inscriptions are a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad, and others are referencing social codes from the Samanids, who deeply valued hospitality and generosity.
Provenance: private Orange County, California, USA collection acquired before 2000
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#121906
- Condition: Repaired from multiple large pieces with small losses along some of the repair lines. Nice craquelure on the surface of the glaze. Some discoloration from age to the glaze on the bowl's interior.
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