Bowl
12th century-13th century (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Fritware, also called stone paste and quartz paste, was developed by Middle Eastern potters as a response to the challenge posed by Chinese porcelain. In the 12th and early 13th centuries, fritware was used in Kashan and other centres in Iran to produce fine wares decorated in an astonishing range of styles.
In one of these styles, the potters of Kashan used black slip to create designs. They applied the slip, then cut it away to reveal the design silhouetted in black against the white body. The rhinoceros appears in the Persian national epic, The Book of Kings, where it engages in combat with the hero Gushtasp.
In one of these styles, the potters of Kashan used black slip to create designs. They applied the slip, then cut it away to reveal the design silhouetted in black against the white body. The rhinoceros appears in the Persian national epic, The Book of Kings, where it engages in combat with the hero Gushtasp.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Fritware with underglaze decoration |
Brief description | Bowl with a rhinoceros, Iran (probably Kashan), 1170-1200. |
Physical description | Bowl decorated with black slip under the glaze to form a black border and the silhouette of a rhinoceros in the centre. |
Dimensions |
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Gallery label |
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Production | The production of silhouette ware developed during the 12th century across the Islamic world, with the adoption of the frit body and new techniques of decoration using a heavy black brush stroke laid directly onto the white paste. |
Subject depicted | |
Summary | Fritware, also called stone paste and quartz paste, was developed by Middle Eastern potters as a response to the challenge posed by Chinese porcelain. In the 12th and early 13th centuries, fritware was used in Kashan and other centres in Iran to produce fine wares decorated in an astonishing range of styles. In one of these styles, the potters of Kashan used black slip to create designs. They applied the slip, then cut it away to reveal the design silhouetted in black against the white body. The rhinoceros appears in the Persian national epic, The Book of Kings, where it engages in combat with the hero Gushtasp. |
Collection | |
Accession number | C.282-1938 |
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Record created | June 30, 2005 |
Record URL |
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