Near East / Central Asia, Persia (Iran), Nishapur region, ca. late 10th to 13th century CE. A stunning aqua blue pottery oil lamp in the unique Nishapur style- a pinched top bowl, with its narrow spout for a wick, sits atop a long, thin neck strap handle descends from top to saucer shaped drip pan. To achieve the beautiful surface, finely ground quartz mixed with clay; this created a white surface on which the artists could paint designs directly. The glaze is alkaline, with a copper base to give it its color, and would be poured over the clay. . These pieces may have been inspired by the blue and white glazed pottery that travelled the Silk Road from Tang Dynasty China, but the end result here is clearly not an imitation, but an entirely different, radical style developed in Nishapur. Such lamps were perfect for carrying- the wick was stabilized by the pinched shape, and the drip pan provided a stable base. Size: 4.2" Diameter x 4.5" H (10.7 cm x 11.4 cm)

For a similar example, see the Metropolitan Museum of Arts website, accession number: 37.40.19.

Provenance: private Vero Beach, Florida, USA collection, acquired before 2003

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#177385

Nice craquelure throughout. Professional restoration with new material to neck midsection and most of handle. Chips to drip pan rim and stable fissures. Great iridescence and coloration throughout.