Near East, Iran, Samanid Dynasty, probably from Samarqand, ca. 10th century CE. A gorgeous, well-proportioned pottery vase, glazed, with black-on-white Arabic calligraphic motifs slipped around its exterior. Samanid potters invented slip-painted ware, achieving a beautiful clarity of design - see, for example, the perfect edges on the letters here. They used a white englobe (a thin slip wash) to cover red earthenware and then painted the inscription in a brownish pigment mixed with slip. Adding slip to the pigment prevented it from running. The perfect style of the calligraphy, with its stylized long shafts and angular letters, demonstrates a close relationship between the potter and the calligrapher. Size: 4.8" W x 7.6" H (12.2 cm x 19.3 cm)

The inscriptions on ceramic items like this one are Arabic proverbs - in fact, some of the first extant examples that appear in the Islamic world. Each inscription is read by turning the vessel counterclockwise. Some of these inscriptions are a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad, and others are referencing social codes from the Samanids, who deeply valued hospitality and generosity.

Provenance: private Orange County, California, USA collection acquired before 2000

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#121910

Intact, with excellent remaining glaze aside from some small chips to the glaze on the rim.