Luster Bowl with Four Camels

Art Historical Context

This exquisite 10th-century luster, adorned with four camels, exemplifies the pinnacle of early Islamic ceramic artistry from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art collection. Crafted earthenware and coated in an opaque white glaze, bowl measures just 2½ inches high and 9 inches in diameter making it a delicate yet functional piece likely used for serving food or beverages in affluent households. Acquired through the Joseph Pulitzer Bequest 1964, it the anonymous artist's mastery of luster-painting—a revolutionary technique where metallic oxides were applied over the glaze and fired in ...