Dish with Floral and Animal Decoration
Safavid dynasty (1501–1722), 17th century
Medium
Fritware painted in blue and black over white slip and under transparent glaze
Dimensions
9.6 × 46.7 cm (3 13/16 × 18 3/8 in.)
Classification
dish (vessel)
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
58075
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Blue-and-white ceramics became popular in the Islamic world as early as the 9th century. In later centuries, the stylistic exchange between Iran and China, as well as the high demand for Chinese porcelain in the Islamic world, led to the production of large quantities of blue-and-white wares in both Iran and China. This example from Safavid Iran shows the influence of Chinese art in the six lion-like creatures along the rim, as well as in the cloud forms behind them.
About the Artist
Islamic
Islamic art, a profound visual tradition originating in the 7th century CE, flourished across vast territories from Spain to India under Muslim rule, encompassing architecture, ceramics, manuscripts, textiles, and metalwork produced by diverse artisans rather than a single named master. Drawing from pre-Islamic Sasanian, Byzantine, and late antique influences, its early development under the Umayy...