Buff Ware Bowl with Geometric Patterns
Unknown Artist
9th century
Medium
Earthenware; polychrome decoration under transparent glaze (buff ware)
Dimensions
H. 4 1/16 in. (10.3 cm) Diam. of rim: 10 1/4 in. (10.3 x 26 cm) Diam. of base: 4 5/16 in. (11 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1939
Accession Number
39.40.68
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Buff Ware Bowl with Geometric Patterns, dating to the 9th, exemplifies the vibrant ceramic traditions of early Islamic art. Crafted earthenware, it features creamy buff body adorned with bold polychrome decoration—typically in shades of blue, green, and manganese purple—applied under a transparent glaze. just over 4 inches tall with a 10-inch rim diameter, this shallow bowl was likely used for serving fruits, sweets, or beverages in a prosperous household, reflecting the era's advancements in pottery production during the Abbasid Calate. The geometric motifs—interlacing stars, ...