Dish
ca. 850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This large, flat dish has lustre decoration in yellow and brown. Experts think this two-colour combination, seen also in some contemporary glass, represents the earliest phase of lustre production in ceramics.
Potters in Iraq invented the technique of lustre decoration on ceramics in the 9th century. First they made a glazed vessel or tile with little or no decoration in the normal way. When the piece had cooled, a design was painted over the glaze in metallic compounds. The pot or tile was then fired again, this time with a restricted supply of oxygen. In these conditions, the metallic compounds broke down, and a thin deposit of copper or silver was left on the surface of the glaze. When polished, this surface layer reflected the light.
Potters in Iraq invented the technique of lustre decoration on ceramics in the 9th century. First they made a glazed vessel or tile with little or no decoration in the normal way. When the piece had cooled, a design was painted over the glaze in metallic compounds. The pot or tile was then fired again, this time with a restricted supply of oxygen. In these conditions, the metallic compounds broke down, and a thin deposit of copper or silver was left on the surface of the glaze. When polished, this surface layer reflected the light.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Tin-glazed earthenware with lustre decoration in two colours |
| Brief description | Dish, tin-glazed earthenware with lustre decoration, Iraq (probably Basra),ca. 850. |
| Physical description | Dish after a metal shape, buff-coloured earthenware (fritware), flat with wide, broad rim, covered in tin-opacified white glaze, painted in yellow and red lustre (bi-chrome lustre), the design divided int oa simple quadrant with triangular panels each filled in with further patterning, foliate or geometric, probably inspired by engraved or repousse work on metalwork. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Purchased with Art Fund support and the Byran Bequest |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This large, flat dish has lustre decoration in yellow and brown. Experts think this two-colour combination, seen also in some contemporary glass, represents the earliest phase of lustre production in ceramics. Potters in Iraq invented the technique of lustre decoration on ceramics in the 9th century. First they made a glazed vessel or tile with little or no decoration in the normal way. When the piece had cooled, a design was painted over the glaze in metallic compounds. The pot or tile was then fired again, this time with a restricted supply of oxygen. In these conditions, the metallic compounds broke down, and a thin deposit of copper or silver was left on the surface of the glaze. When polished, this surface layer reflected the light. |
| Bibliographic reference | Kühnel, Ernst, "Die Abbasidischen Lüsterfayencen", Ars Islamica, I, 1934, p. 154, fig. 3 |
| Other number | Kelekian Loan 159 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.45-1952 |
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| Record created | January 28, 1998 |
| Record URL |
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