Bottle
Unknown Artist
second half 17th century
Medium
Stonepaste; luster-painted on opaque blue glaze under transparent colorless glaze
Dimensions
Ht. 9 1/8 in. (23.2 cm) Diam. 5 5/16 in. (13.5 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891
Accession Number
91.1.167
Art Historical Context
This elegant bottle, crafted by an unknown artist in the half of the 17 century, exemplifies the refined ceramics of the Islamic world. Standing at just over 9 inches tall with a diameter of about 5 inches, it was designed for practical use—perhaps holding perfumes, oils, or spices—while as a decorative object. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Art Department, it entered the collection through the generous bequest of Edward C. in 1891, early Western appreciation for these treasures. The bottle's medium is a marvel of Islamic ceramic innovation: stonepaste (also called fritware), a qu...