Vase
Unknown Artist
12th century
Medium
Earthenware; glazed and luster-painted
Dimensions
H. 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm) Diam. foot 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm) Diam. rim 2 7/16 in. (6.2 cm) Diam. body 4 in. (10.2 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Charles K. Wilkinson, 1981
Accession Number
1981.88
Art Historical Context
This delicate 12th-century earthen vase, standing just over 3 inches tall, exemplifies the exquisite ceramics of the Islamic world.ed with a glazed surface and luster-painted decoration it features the innovative technique of applying metallic oxides over a tin-glazed base and firing in a reducing atmosphere to create a shimmering, iridescent effect. This lusterware process, perfected by artisans in regions like Iraq, Iran, and Syria during the medieval Islamic golden age, mimicked the glow of precious metals, making such vessels status symbols for elite households. Though the artist remains ...