Bowl
Unknown Artist
9th–10th century
Medium
Earthenware; white slip, incised and splashed with polychrome glazes under transparent glaze (sgraffito ware)
Dimensions
H. 2 9/16 in. (6.5 cm) Diam. 7 in. (17.8 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1938
Accession Number
38.40.127
Art Historical Context
This delicate earthenware bowl, crafted by an unknown artist in the 9th–10th, exemplifies the ingenuity of early Islamic ceramics from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art collection. Measuring just 2⅝ inches high and 7 inches in, its modest size belies its sophisticated design, making it a perfect vessel for daily use in a bustling medieval household—perhaps holding fruits, spices, or beverages during communal meals. The bowl's standout feature is its sgraffito technique, a masterful process where a white slip was applied over the earthenware body, then incised with intricate pattern...