Fragment of a large dish

Iraq
Abbasid period, 9th-10th century
Samarra type

Fragment of a large dish.
Clay: soft, pinkish-buff.
Glaze: transparent pink, crackled, backed by a white slip.
Decoration: painted in red and gold lustre, over glaze.

Historical period(s)
Abbasid period, 9th-10th century
Medium
Earthenware painted with ruby luster
Style
Samarra ware
Dimensions
H x W: 14.8 x 9.4 cm (5 13/16 x 3 11/16 in)
Geography
Iraq
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1908.208
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Dish (fragment)

Keywords
Abbasid period (750 - 1258), earthenware, Iraq, Samarra ware
Provenance

To 1908
Maurice Nahman (1868-1948), Cairo, Egypt, to 1908 [1]

From 1908 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Maurice Nahman in 1908 [2]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] See Original Pottery List, L. 1707, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

[2] See note 1.

[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919

Description

Iraq
Abbasid period, 9th-10th century
Samarra type

Fragment of a large dish.
Clay: soft, pinkish-buff.
Glaze: transparent pink, crackled, backed by a white slip.
Decoration: painted in red and gold lustre, over glaze.

Label

Potters in Iran began to practice the luster technique in the middle of the twelfth century and reached their creative apogee in the first few decades of the thirteenth century. In the city of Kashan, located in central Iran, potters developed stonepaste, or fritware, a white composition made of ground quartz, ground glass, and a type of white clay that eliminated the need for an opaque white tin glaze. Fine rendering and elaborate designs characterize Persian lusterware.

Published References
  • Jonathan M. Bloom, Sheila Blair. And Diverse are their Hues. .
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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