Name of Object:Bowl Location:Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom Holding Museum:Burrell Collection, Glasgow Museums About Burrell Collection, Glasgow Museums, Glasgow Date of Object:Hegira 7th century / AD 13th century Museum Inventory Number:BC 33.148 Material(s) / Technique(s):Stone-paste (fritware) painted, black decoration under a transparent blue glaze. Dimensions:15.8 cm, diameter (of base) 6.5 cm Period / Dynasty:Ayyubid Provenance:Raqqa, Syria. Description:A stone-paste (fritware) bowl of flaring shape with straight sides, decorated with black painted stripes on the sides and a roundel of highly stylised calligraphy in the centre of the well, which may read: 'al-'izz … Muhammad' ('the glory... Muhammad'). The decoration is typical for this type of bowl where the body of the unglazed vessel is painted with black pigment, and a transparent glaze (in this case turquoise) is then subsequently applied overall. Raqqa was one of two major pottery-production centres in Ayyubid Syria, the other being Rusafah. There were a number of pottery workshops şn Raqqa that produced a range of ceramics including lustre-painted, relief-moulded, and underglaze-painted vessels. The pottery ceased production when the Mongols razed the city to the ground in AH 657 / AD 1259. View Short DescriptionThe centre decoration of this bowl has a calligraphic inscription which may read 'al-'izz … Muhammad' ('the glory... Muhammad'), painted in black pigment under a transparent blue glaze. The popular use of good wishes inscriptions and blessings on Middle Eastern ceramics goes back to the earliest part of the Islamic period. How date and origin were established:Stylistic analysis, together with analysis of the material composition of the vessel's body which is distinctively that of Raqqa. Furthermore, the nature and extent of the deterioration of the glaze is also typical of Raqqa ceramics. How Object was obtained:Part of the collection given to the City of Glasgow by Sir William and Lady Burrell in 1944. How provenance was established:The vessel is typical of Raqqa ceramics in both its material composition and in the nature of the deterioration of the glaze. Selected bibliography:Fehervari, G., Ceramics of the Islamic World in the Tareq Rajab Museum, London, 2000. Citation of this web page:Noorah Al-Gailani "Bowl" in Discover Islamic Art, Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;uk;Mus04;9;en Prepared by: Noorah Al-Gailani
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