Jar

Object Details

• Description

  Vase, luster painted with two superimposed stylized birds alternating twice with a long-robed figure with inclined head, the designs separated by five-unit arabesque tree. Broken and put together.

• Label

  The technique of luster-painted ceramic originated in Iraq in the ninth century from where it spread to the rest of the Islamic world and through Muslim Spain and Europe. Early examples from Iraq, such as this remarkable jar, are often decorated with bold, stylized figural imagery. The identity of this mysterious hooded figure and its relationship to the two birds on the other side, however, remains unclear.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Engaging the Senses (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Iraq and China: Ceramics, Trade, and Innovation (December 4, 2004 to July 17, 2005)

  Arts of the Islamic World (May 3, 1998 to January 3, 2016)

  Islamic Art (May 9, 1993 to June 3, 1997)

  Art of the Arab World (August 15, 1980 to May 13, 1981)

  Art of the Arab World (May 8, 1975 to August 20, 1977)

  Ceramics from the World of Islam (January 16, 1974 to July 1, 1974)

  Near Eastern Art (June 5, 1964 to August 18, 1967)

  Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 6 and 7 (February 25, 1956 to April 10, 1962)

  Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Manuscripts, Pottery, Metalwork, and Glass (April 12, 1955 to November 21, 1955)

  Special Exhibition, Near Eastern Art (September 15, 1953 to February 9, 1954)

  Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Arts, 1947 (October 6, 1947 to February 25, 1956)

• Origin

  Iraq

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Vessel

• On View

  Freer Gallery 03: Engaging the Senses

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  900s, 800s, 700s, 1100s, 1200s, 1000s

• Topic

  Art, Animals, Lustre ware, Pottery, Arts of the Islamic World, Birds, Ceramics

• Culture

  Muslims, Abbasids, Iraqis

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)

• On View

  Yes