
- Flask
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Flask
- Place of origin:
Aleppo (possibly, made)
- Date:
1200-1400 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown
- Materials and Techniques:
Unglazed earthenware, moulded in relief
- Museum number:
761-1902
- Gallery location:
Islamic Middle East, Room 42, The Jameel Gallery, case 1W
This large flask with a damaged lip was reportedly found in a well in Aleppo in Syria. The Arabic inscription gives wishes for the health and well-being of the drinker.
The porous body of unglazed earthenware allowed water to evaporate through the sides, keeping the contents cool. This practical advantage meant that unglazed water vessels like this were common throughout the Middle East in both the pre-Islamic and Islamic periods. Most examples were plain. Some, like this one, were moulded with patterns and inscriptions. Here the circular decoration echoes the shape of the body of the flask.