- Provenance
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1950s
Cohen collection, Paris, 1950s [1]From 1995 to 2000
Momtaz Islamic Art, London, from 1995 [2]From 2000
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Momtaz Islamic Art in 2000Notes:
[1] According to Curatorial Note 4, Massumeh Farhad, February 28, 2000, in the object record.
[2] See note 1.
- Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)
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Momtaz Islamic Art
- Description
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A concave earthenware bowl with round rim, decorated on the interior with four stylized split palmettes painted in cobalt-blue, the ends with three oval-shaped motifs painted in bluish-green, the center with boxed lines of Kufic calligraphy painted in cobalt-blue with a tin glaze. The rim with an alternating band of spaced half moon-shaped motifs painted in cobalt-blue and bluish green, the whole painted against a creamy white ground.
- Inscription(s)
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1. (Massumeh Farhad, 28 February 2000) The inscription, written in cobalt in a compact kufic script, consists of three lines stacked in the center and can be read as "sa 'da/sahibihu/..." ("blessings to its owner,..."). Four windswept palmettes surround the inscription, while eight alternating cobalt and copper lobes adorn the rim.
See more discussion regarding the inscription in Curatorial Remarks, comment #1.
- Label
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Among the earliest surviving works of art decorated with writing are a group of ceramic vessels, produced in Iraq and Iran under the rule of the powerful Abbasid dynasty (7491258). Inspired by the whiteness and purity of the much admired, imported Chinese porcelain, Muslim potters created their own "white ware" by covering their buff-colored earthenware vessels with a glaze containing a small amount of lead and tin, which turns opaque when fired. Unlike the Chinese models, most of the Abbasid vessels were embellished with a variety of motifs, including calligraphic designs. This bowl combines both vegetal motifs and calligraphic design in cobalt and copper glazes. Surrounded by windswept palmettes, the inscription in the center confers blessings to the owner.
- Published References
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- Islamic Art at the Ashmolean. Oxford Studies in Islamic Art. pp. 125-26.
- Collection Area(s)
- Arts of the Islamic World
- Web Resources
- Google Cultural Institute
- SI Usage Statement
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CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
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Usage Conditions Apply
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
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International Image Interoperability Framework
FS-7914_37