Islam was a defining force in the daily lives of
the people of the region, and likewise had an
effect on the arts as well. Muslim artists were
prohibited from the depiction of figures of
people or animals in art. Instead, the art of Islam
abounds with floral motifs, inscriptions, intricate
geometry and arabesques.
This bowl is contributed to Nishapur. It exhibits
how sophisticated Mesopotamian potters had
become.
The bowl is of rounded form, decorated in dark
brown on a dark cream ground, to which a fine
design was applied in the form of abstract and
inscription motifs.
Wares from Nishapur used a white slip on a
terracotta body to give a lighter surface for
painting. The design was then painted in slips of
brown.
The potters of the region had learnt that patterns
painted using glaze were apt to run, and got
around the problem by mixing tjeir pigments
into the clay slips used for decorating. A very
clear glaze covers the entire surface of the
decoration to avoid the colour slips to run.
