Bowl

Art Historical Context

This elegant 13th-century stonepaste bowl, standing just 5 inches tall, exemplifies the masterful ceramics of the Islamic world, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art Department. Crafted by an unknown artist, it reflects the height of medieval Islamic pottery production, likely from regions like Iran or Syria during the Seljuk or early Mongol periods. Such bowls were everyday vessels elevated to art through exquisite craftsmanship, blending utility with aesthetic splendor. The medium—stonepaste, or fritware, composed of quartz, clay, and glass frit—revolutionized Islamic ...