Kashan Incised and Pierced Bowl - AMD.148, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 1100 AD to 1300 AD, Dimensions: 3.1" (7.9cm) high x 6.8" (17.3cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Kashan, Medium: Fritware. This style of bowl was a standard product of the Iranian fritware industry and similar pieces were probably made at a number of different centers. The shape is one encountered in Kashan monumental style lustres that can be dated to the last decades of the 12th Century, but continued to be used later both at Kashan and at regional centers. This style of bowl relies on the good color of glaze that the frit body enables, and the effective though simple technique of incising and piercing the bowl. The holes are pierced when the body is in a “leather-hard” state, and the perforations are filled with glaze during the firing, leaving transparent shimmering and glimmering windows. First seen in Iran in the late 12th century, it predates the Chinese use of similar decoration by several centuries.

Antiquities
Ancient Near East