Bowl

Object Details

• Description

  Design of two birds in dark brown slip on white, thin brown edge; solid foot with wide central raised disk. Broken and repaired; small pieces of glaze chipped off. The word arabic word for "blessing" is repeated on the body of each bird.

• Label

  The facing birds on this bowl--one of the most popular motifs on Persian ceramics of the ninth and tenth centuries--conceal the Arabic word "blessing" on their undersides. They can be regarded as the first zoomorphic inscriptions and indicate the secular use of these ceramic wares.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

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

  Near Eastern Ceramics (May 10, 1985 to September 3, 1985)

  Near Eastern Ceramics (June 24, 1982 to September 23, 1982)

  Near Eastern Ceramics (May 14, 1981 to May 10, 1985)

  Art of the Near East (August 21, 1977 to December 14, 1979)

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

  Near Eastern Art (June 15, 1973 to May 7, 1975)

  2500 Years of Persian Art—Paintings, Pottery (February 10, 1972 to June 15, 1973)

  Near Eastern Art—Paintings, Pottery (August 18, 1967 to February 10, 1972)

  Special Exhibition of Persian Art (May 1, 1960 to August 11, 1961)

• Origin

  Iran or Uzbekistan

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Vessel

• 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.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  900s, 1000s

• Place

  Uzbekistan

• Topic

  Art, Animals, Pottery, Arts of the Islamic World, Birds, Ceramics, Samanid period (819 - 1005)

• Culture

  Muslims, Iranians

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)