The Ayyubid period was a period of great political ferment, yet it witnessed some of the finest creations of Medieval Islamic art. Local rulers sponsored various foundations which they furnished with fine works of art, from <i>minbar</i>s to ablution basins; even door knockers were crafted with the utmost skill. Technically, this was an age of high achievement, as craftsmen mastered arts such as elegant glasswares, often decorated with enamel. Ceramics, too, continued to develop in several styles, including lustre decoration and a technique local to Syria known as <i>laqabi</i> ware. Ayyubid potters even imitated the <i>mina'i</i> ceramics of contemporary Iran. Perhaps the most striking creations of the Ayyubid period are objects of inlaid metalwork, a technique of Iranian origin which had rapidly spread throughout the Islamic world. Brass and bronze inlaid with silver, gold and other metals were used to give a wide variety of objects the appearance of precious metal without violating religious strictures against its use. Wares such as basins and incense burners were made in this way. Inlaid wares were often decorated with figurative imagery, the scenes ranging from hunters on horseback to ladies at their toilet.