Description:

AN ABBASID POLYCHROME LUSTRE POTTERY BOWL, MESOPOTAMIA, 9TH CENTURY
Mesopotamia, 9th century

Description:
A fine Abbasid earthenware bowl with a shallow rounded body and slightly everted rim, standing on a short foot. Executed in a tin-opacified glaze, the interior and exterior are decorated with heart- and tear-shaped motifs in a lustrous palette of golden brown and ochre, interspersed with vegetal sprays. This bowl is a striking example of early Islamic lustreware, showcasing the technical sophistication and aesthetic refinement of the Abbasid potters, likely from the important production centres of Basra or Samarra.

Dimensions:
Diameter: 21 cm
Height: 7 cm

Comparable examples:

  • An Abbasid lustre-painted pottery bowl, Mesopotamia, 9th century, sold at Sotheby’s, London, Arts of the Islamic World, 31 March 2021, Lot 60, for £18,900.

  • A similar 9th-century Abbasid lustreware bowl featuring stylised vegetal motifs, sold at Christie’s, London, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 25 October 2018, Lot 5, for £15,000.

  • A related lustre bowl, attributed to Basra, with similar heart-shaped designs and gold lustre highlights, sold at Bonhams, London, Islamic and Indian Art, 24 April 2017, Lot 2, for £13,750.

Note:
Abbasid lustreware represents one of the earliest successful uses of metallic lustre decoration on ceramics, a technique likely derived from glassmaking traditions. These wares were highly valued and widely traded across the Islamic world. The intricate motifs and reflective glaze demonstrate both the spiritual symbolism and the luxurious aesthetic of early Islamic ceramic art.

 

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
London, United Kingdom

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£2,000 £4,999 £200
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£10,000 £19,999 £1,000
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£500,000 £999,999 £50,000
£1,000,000 + £100,000