Fragment of a Bowl
Unknown Artist
12th–13th century
Medium
Stonepaste; overglaze painted (mina'i)
Classification
Ceramics
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Grinnell Collection, Bequest of William Milne Grinnell, 1920
Accession Number
20.120.125
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite fragment of a bowl hails from the 12th–13th century, a golden of Islamic ceramics during the Seljuk dynasty in Persia (modern-day Iran). Crafted by an unknown artist, it belongs to the prestigious mina'i ware tradition, produced primarily in workshops at Kashan. Displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic department as part of The Grinnell Collection (bequest of William Milne Grinnell, 1920), this piece invites us to glimpse the opulence of medieval courtly life. The bowl is made of stonepaste—a fine, white frit body that mimics porcelain's translucency—and adorned wi...