Bowl with a Majlis Scene by a Pond
dated A.H. 582/ 1186 CE
Medium
Stonepaste; glazed in opaque turquoise, polychrome in-glaze- and overglaze- painted
Dimensions
H. 3 3/16 in. (8.1 cm) Diam. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm) Wt. 15.2 oz. (431 g)
Classification
Ceramics
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1964
Accession Number
64.178.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite stonepaste bowl, signed by the renowned Kashan potter Abu Zayd-Kashani and dated 1186 CE, captures a vibrant *majlis*—a leisurely social gathering—beside a serene pond. Crafted during the Seljuk era in Iran, when Kashan was a hub of ceramic innovation, the vessel showcases women in flowing robes conversing amid lush foliage and playful birds. Such secular scenes reflect the refined courtly culture of 12th-century Persia, blending everyday elegance with natural harmony. The bowl's technical mastery lies in its stonepaste body—a fritware composite of quartz, clay, and glass frit—...