Author
It probably is
Author Original
من المحتمل أن يكون
Publication Date
4th - 5th / 10th - 11th century
Publication Place
-
The National Museum in Damascus
Subject
Bicolour glazed pottery.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع: 0.07م ؛ القطر: 0.24م
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
ع 2719
Record ID
object;ISL;sy;Mus01;12;ar
Library Location
The National Museum in Damascus
Date
4th - 5th / 10th - 11th century
Notes
The shallow shape of this bowl and the whiteness of its opaque glaze are an example of Muslim potters’ admiration for Chinese porcelain, as it resembles porcelain. Pottery craftsmen in the early Abbasid era used a type of tin-based or alkaline-based paint with a low temperature to lighten the color of their earthen pottery and obtain an opaque white color similar to the color of original Chinese porcelain. The bowl is decorated with four rivers flowing spontaneously from the lip to the bottom. In the middle there are three lines of unclear Kufic writing, which can be read as follows: The first line is “He worked from what he did.” This text may indicate the calligrapher’s lack of mastery of the Arabic language, as it is usually written “from what he did.” The second line is illegible, and may be “Muhammad,” which may indicate the name of the craftsman, as there are similar yoghurts bearing this name. The third line is “Eat well,” and it was natural to decorate the bowls and yogurt with sayings of wisdom and good wishes to the owner of the piece.
Sample Text
Mona al-Moadin “Ceramic Bowl” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;sy;Mus01;12;ar
