Description:

A RARE BLUE SLIP PAINTED KASHAN LUSTRE POTTERY BOWL, CENTRAL IRAN, EARLY 13TH CENTURY
Kashan, Central Iran, early 13th century

Description:
Fritware, under a transparent glaze with golden-brown lustre and vivid cobalt blue slip. Of fluted lobed form, the bowl rises from a straight foot and features a tessellated honeycomb design around the body, each cell enclosing abstract vegetal motifs. The interior is finished in deep cobalt, pooled richly into the fluted channels, creating a dramatic contrast with the cream lustred exterior. The surface displays typical craquelure associated with early Kashan glazes.

This form is rarely encountered and exceptionally refined, with both the vibrant blue and intricate lustration representing Kashan ceramic art at its pinnacle. A nearly identical example is housed in the British Museum, highlighting the rarity and museum quality of the present piece.

Dimensions: Height: 9 cm

Comparable examples:

  • A near-identical blue-slip and lustre bowl from Kashan, in the British Museum, London (inv. 1968,0716.8), exhibited in Heaven on Earth: Art from Islamic Lands.

  • A similar fluted Kashan lustre bowl with tessellated design, sold at Sotheby’s, Arts of the Islamic World, London, 9 October 2013, Lot 134, for £50,000.

  • A Kashan lustre bowl with blue slip interior and honeycomb exterior, Christie’s, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, London, 7 October 2008, Lot 61, sold for £42,050.

Note:
The interplay between deep cobalt blue and gold-toned lustre was a signature of the Kashan workshops, reaching technical maturity in the early 13th century. The tessellated petal or honeycomb motif is an uncommon feature, often reserved for high-status wares.

Provenance:
With K. Fujishiro, Japan, by 1967,
Acquired by Japanese trade until 201

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
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PLAKAS

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£100 £199 £10
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£500 £999 £50
£1,000 £1,999 £100
£2,000 £4,999 £200
£5,000 £9,999 £500
£10,000 £19,999 £1,000
£20,000 £49,999 £2,000
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£100,000 £199,999 £10,000
£200,000 £499,999 £20,000
£500,000 £999,999 £50,000
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