Dish

Art Historical Context

This round stonepaste dish draws the eye with its central multi-petaled flower in black and blue-gray tones, surrounded by smaller blooms and curling turquoise leaves scattered across a creamy off-white ground. Fine black lines create swirling patterns that unify the surface, while accents of red and yellow slips add warmth to the rim and interior. The decorative border features repeating abstract motifs in the same palette, all protected beneath a subtle crackled glaze. Created in the seventeenth century by an unknown artist, the dish exemplifies the refined ceramic traditions preserved in the Metropolitan Museum’s Islamic Art collection. Its underglaze painting technique on stonepaste allowed for the vibrant yet harmonious combination of black, blue, green, and slip colors still visible today. Such works reflect the period’s appreciation for floral and geometric ornament that brought both utility and beauty to daily life. Acquired through the bequest of Isaac D. Fletcher in 1917, this piece invites visitors to appreciate the skill and artistry of ceramic makers from centuries past.