Artwork Details
8-1/2 (diam.) in.
PeriodMiscellaneous Funds
CopyrightAsian Art (Chinese and other Asian)
Color PalettePurchased by the John Herron Art Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana, now the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, in 1952.
In Islamic culture, writing is often an important component of design. Words, being more potent than images, can be found most everywhere from architecture to coins, as symbols of power. On this bowl, the angular Arabic writing (Kufic script) conveys wishes of good blessings.
At the beginning of the 9th century, ceramic production greatly increased, and the objects themselves began to be regarded as fine art. Whether inspired by imports from China or by Mediterranean traditions, Persian craftsmen made many great achievements in ceramics.
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