Dish thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Islamic Middle East, Room 42, The Jameel Gallery

Dish

10th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This small dish imitates silver decorated with inscriptions in a black inlay called niello. Here the potter has covered the earthenware body with slip (liquid clay) to create a white ground. The inscription in Arabic was written in contrasting black slip. As on many Islamic dishes, the inscription offers good wishes for the owner.

This dish is an example of a distinctive ceramic tradition that developed in eastern Iran from the 10th century. Potters there took inspiration from indigenous metalwork and applied slip of contrasting colours to create the decoration.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Earthenware, lead-glazed, inscribed
Brief description
Small earthenware dish with inscription in black slip, Eastern Iran or Uzbekistan, 900-1000.
Physical description
Lead-glazed earthenware with slip inscription, "Blessing and ease to the owner".
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 11.2cm
  • Height: 1.6cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
'Blessing and ease to the owner' (painted)
Gallery label
  • Jameel Gallery 11–13 Dishes with Arabic Inscriptions Eastern Iran or Uzbekistan 900–1000 The text on the small dish was carefully executed in thick, black slip. It offers good wishes for the owner. The spiky inscription on the large dish probably has a similar meaning, but it is more ornament than text. The decoration on the inner walls of the bowl is also based on an inscription, but it has been turned into a purely decorative design. Earthenware with slip decoration under a transparent glaze Museum nos. C.47-1952, Purchased with the assistance of the National Art Collections Fund and the Bryan Bequest; C.909-1935; C.47-1964, Given in memory of Arthur Lane(2006)
  • SMALL DISH Lead-glazed earthenware with slip inscription : "Blessing and ease to the owner" EAST PERSIAN (probably Nishapur) ; 9th -10th century. C.909-1935(OLD G133 - 1980?)
Summary
This small dish imitates silver decorated with inscriptions in a black inlay called niello. Here the potter has covered the earthenware body with slip (liquid clay) to create a white ground. The inscription in Arabic was written in contrasting black slip. As on many Islamic dishes, the inscription offers good wishes for the owner.

This dish is an example of a distinctive ceramic tradition that developed in eastern Iran from the 10th century. Potters there took inspiration from indigenous metalwork and applied slip of contrasting colours to create the decoration.
Collection
Accession number
C.909-1935

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Record createdNovember 7, 2003
Record URL
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