Luster Bowl
Unknown Artist
late 12th–first half 13th century
Medium
Stonepaste; underglaze painted in blue and turquoise, luster-painted on transparent glaze
Dimensions
H. 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm) Diam. 13 5/8 in. (34.6 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H.O. Havemeyer Collection, Gift of Horace Havemeyer, 1948
Accession Number
48.113.5
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This wide, shallow bowl draws the eye first to its central medallion filled with swirling, interlaced patterns in warm brown luster. Concentric bands of elegant Arabic script and scrolling vegetal motifs encircle the center, while four turquoise and blue oval accents punctuate the design like jewels. The rim is edged with delicate geometric borders, all set against a creamy white ground that has aged to a soft, slightly worn patina. Created by an unknown artist in the late twelfth to first half of the thirteenth century, this Luster Bowl belongs to the rich tradition of Islamic ceramics