Publication Place
-
Municipal Palace in Silves
Subject
Enamelled pottery and manganese decoration.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
العلو: 19.6 سم؛ القطر:11.2 سم؛ قطر القاعدة: 10.5 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
MMAS 00003
Record ID
object;ISL;pt;Mus01_B;15;ar
Library Location
Municipal Museum of Archeology in Silves (Shalp)
Notes
A spherical vessel on a ring base, with a semicircular sectional rim slanting slightly outwards. The color of the paste tends to be orange and the surfaces are enamelled in a reddish-honey colour; A floral decoration dominates and the entire surface is dotted with a series of columns whose edges are edged in color ranging from dark maroon to manganese black. This style of decoration appears at Silvesh (Shalab) on pieces dating back to the AH 5th century / AD 11th century, but is more prevalent in the AH 6th / AD 12th century. These pieces are seen as ordinary ceramics, and their shape suggests their use as a vessel for olive oil or other household liquids such as water. It is possible that the smaller models were used to contain cosmetic items or as decorative pieces. The style of this masterpiece is similar to other pieces decorated with metallic reflections (metallic luster) dating back to the 4th and 5th centuries AH / 9th and 10th centuries AD, of Egyptian or Iranian origin. The use of decorative motifs in manganese overlaid enamel dates back to an earlier period and may be of Eastern origin. Despite the stylistic closeness of the decorations of this piece to the East, it contains elements in common with other pieces found in Silves, which allows it to be assumed that they are ceramic pieces of local origin from the West, that is, from Silves, and are copies of Eastern models. This type of pottery vessels continued throughout the Islamic period in the western Andalusian region.
Sample Text
Maria da Conceição Amaral "Vase" in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;pt;Mus01_B;15;ar
