Ceramics Gallery

Ceramics are among the Islamic world’s most colourful artistic triumphs. Influences came from many directions, mainly China, but the results are unique to the cultures that produced them.

From the austerity of Nishapur calligraphic bowls to the richness of Kashan lusterware, there is an unmistakable vigour that puts these works in a special creative category.

The inventiveness of Muslim potters was unrelenting. Calligraphic inscriptions were used to enormous effect in a number of different techniques. There is a long aesthetic leap from the monochrome precision of 10th-11th century Nishapur to the textured, turquoise-glazed wares that developed in Iran over the following centuries.

Technical innovations allowed for new body types, many of which depended on the composite material known as ‘frit’. The pursuit of ever more colourful products led to the introduction of overglaze painting such as Minai wares. By this stage, ceramics had become as much an art of the painter as the potter.

Lustreware continued to reassert itself in the 13th century, with densely decorated calligraphic tiles being a speciality of Kashan. While bowls and dishes comprise the bulk of earlier ceramics, tiles became increasingly significant after the Central Asian migrations of the 12th century. Chinese influence also became more apparent. Instead of being inspired by shapes from the Far East, Muslim potters took a closer look at the motifs.