Earthenware bowl, covered by a white slip with incised ornamentation and decorated with splashes of color in a transparent glaze
The decoration on this bowl, like so much Samanid art, was inspired by decoration from Abbasid Iraq, and Iraqi potters, in turn, might have been inspired by Chinese models, i.e. Tang splashed ware.
The green, yellow, and brownish splashes run out into the transparent glaze and create a seemingly random yet planned pattern. The underlying incised decoration, in the russet color of the clay against the white slip, is purely Islamic. This sgraffito technique was later to become a popular form of decoration, which was exported to Europe.
The green, yellow, and brownish splashes run out into the transparent glaze and create a seemingly random yet planned pattern. The underlying incised decoration, in the russet color of the clay against the white slip, is purely Islamic. This sgraffito technique was later to become a popular form of decoration, which was exported to Europe.