Fragment of an Imported Chinese Bowl

Unknown

late 7th–first half 8th century · Earthenware; applied relief medallion under three color (sancai) glaze · Islamic Art

Chinese ceramics were highly valued and commonly imitated in Nishapur. The Nishapur imitations took different forms: the whiteness of the Chinese porcelains led local potters to develop the opaque white glazes with which they covered their wares, while the three-color sancai Chinese imports led to the invention of splashware, made by dripping brown, yellow, and green glazes over their pots. This medallion from the base of a bowl, with the molded image of a dragon with a flaming jewel, is an example of an imported Chinese sancai ware object; its find at Nishapur is an important piece of evidence in the story of Nishapuri pottery development.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 7th–first half 8th century

Medium

Earthenware; applied relief medallion under three color (sancai) glaze

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1938