Persia (Iran), Nishapur area, ca. late 10th century to early 13th century CE. This is a concave pottery plate with a sparkling light turquoise glaze and a flower-like design in darker blue on its interior. Nishapur was a center of politics and culture in medieval Persia, and their pottery is some of the most unique and beautiful we see from this time period. These turquoise items are the result of technological innovation at the end of the 10th century. The body of this plate and others of its style is made of 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. Manganese was used to create the underglaze design. 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 just an imitation, but an entirely different, radical style developed in Nishapur. Size: 7.25" W x 1.5" H (18.4 cm x 3.8 cm)

Provenance: Ex- Private New Jersey collection acquired before 1990

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#112933

Minor rim chipping, otherwise intact.