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Dish
Unknown - Enlarge image
Dish
- Place of origin:
Eastern Iran, Iran (possibly, made)
Uzbekistan (possibly, made) - Date:
10th century (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown (production)
- Materials and Techniques:
Earthenware, lead-glazed, inscribed
- Museum number:
C.909-1935
- Gallery location:
Islamic Middle East, room 42, case 2W
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.

