Bowl
ca. 1860 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Fez is an important centre for Moroccan pottery and is particularly associated with a distinctive form of blue and white ceramic ware which became popular in the late 19th century. These glazed Fassi (from Fez) wares were made by professional male potters as decorative tableware for urban consumers. Their style may have been influenced by the appearance of Chinese porcelain, historically made available through Mediterranean trade. Another factor was the availability of increasingly pure cobalt blue imported from Europe from the 1850s onwards.
This bowl is one of eight Fassi bowls purchased for the South Kensington Museum (later V&A) from the Paris Exhibition of 1867. Called zlafa, these are used for drinking water, milk and, especially, harira, a traditional soup. The bowls are particularly associated with the month of Ramadan, when they are used at sunset to break the fast.
This bowl is one of eight Fassi bowls purchased for the South Kensington Museum (later V&A) from the Paris Exhibition of 1867. Called zlafa, these are used for drinking water, milk and, especially, harira, a traditional soup. The bowls are particularly associated with the month of Ramadan, when they are used at sunset to break the fast.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Tin-glazed earthenware, painted in cobalt blue |
| Brief description | Bowl, tin-glazed earthenware, painted in blue, Morocco (Fez), ca. 1860 |
| Physical description | Earthenware bowl with a white glaze, decorated in blue on the exterior. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Object history | Accessions register entry: 'Bowl. Earthenware, painted with stripes and triangles in blue on a white ground. Morocco. H. 3 ¼ in., diam. 5 3/8 in. (Paris Exhibition, 1867.) Bought, 1s. 3d.' |
| Summary | Fez is an important centre for Moroccan pottery and is particularly associated with a distinctive form of blue and white ceramic ware which became popular in the late 19th century. These glazed Fassi (from Fez) wares were made by professional male potters as decorative tableware for urban consumers. Their style may have been influenced by the appearance of Chinese porcelain, historically made available through Mediterranean trade. Another factor was the availability of increasingly pure cobalt blue imported from Europe from the 1850s onwards. This bowl is one of eight Fassi bowls purchased for the South Kensington Museum (later V&A) from the Paris Exhibition of 1867. Called zlafa, these are used for drinking water, milk and, especially, harira, a traditional soup. The bowls are particularly associated with the month of Ramadan, when they are used at sunset to break the fast. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 905-1869 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | May 28, 2008 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
