The application of metallic lustre to decorate vessels is a quintessentially Islamic technique that first appeared in glasswork before becoming, famously, applied to pottery. In Egypt the technique used on glass was an innovation known since at least the 2nd / 8th century.
Indeed, lustre pottery – due to Fatimid patronage of migrant potters – soon marked the high-point of ceramic production in Egypt, which also included other types of glazed pottery. The workshops of some master potters known to us, include the School of the Muslim and the School of Sa’ad.
Another flourishing industry was devoted to metalwork. Artisans specialised in the production of three-dimensional animals and birds, cast- and beaten-metal vessels, scientific instruments such as astrolabes and surgical tools.