Sherd
1000-50 (made)
| Place of origin |
Iraqi potters began to decorate their white earthenwares with lustre, adapting a technique used in glassmaking. The pottery was glazed and fired, and then painted with sliver of copper oxide pigments. After refiring and burnishing, the pattern shone like gold. Making lustre requires great skill, and production shifted around the Middle East as potters moved, taking their expertise with them. After 1050, they used the techniques on fritwares as well as earthenwares.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Brief description | Ceramic; sherd from a bowl, tin-glazed earthenware, lustre painted with a hare, Egypt, probably Fustat, 1000-50 |
| Physical description | Sherd from the base of a bowl, earthenware, covered in a tin-opacified lead glaze, and painted in lustre with a running hare |
| Gallery label | Base of lustre bowl
Egypt, probably Fustat, 1000-50
This fragment shows clearly the red clay under an opaque tin glaze
Museum no. C. 745-1920. Given by Mr. W.A.Stewart(July 2009) |
| Credit line | Given by Mr. A.W. Stewart |
| Production | probably Fustat |
| Summary | Iraqi potters began to decorate their white earthenwares with lustre, adapting a technique used in glassmaking. The pottery was glazed and fired, and then painted with sliver of copper oxide pigments. After refiring and burnishing, the pattern shone like gold. Making lustre requires great skill, and production shifted around the Middle East as potters moved, taking their expertise with them. After 1050, they used the techniques on fritwares as well as earthenwares. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.745-1920 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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