Description:
White bowl decorated with five groups of green streaks with pseudo-inscription on interior center

Label Text:
The city of Nishapur, in northeastern Iran, was a thriving metropolis under the rule of the Samanids (819–1005). Excavations there have revealed homes, schools, marketplaces, palaces, and mosques, as well as the material culture of everyday life. Artifacts such as chess pieces, jewelry, and ceramics like this bowl, give us insights into daily life in medieval Iran. This Nishapur bowl also tells a remarkable story about trade and cross-cultural exchange during this period. Its decoration of green splashes with a central inscription imitates specific wares from Basra, Iraq, which were imported into Nishapur before potters there began making local copies. The splashes of green glaze reveal the influence of Chinese sancai ware, which was imported into both Iraq and Iran along the Silk Road.

-Kendra Weisbin, Associate Curator of Education, Mount Holyoke College Art Museum (Sept. 2016)

Tags:
ancient; archaeology

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=MH+2012.40.14

Research on objects in the collections, including provenance, is ongoing and may be incomplete. If you have additional information or would like to learn more about a particular object, please email fc-museums-web@fivecolleges.edu.