Bottle with Bulb-Shaped Neck

12th century

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 453

The introduction of luster ware to Iran dates to the early twelfth century, with the arrival of potters from Egypt, perhaps via Syria. These potters settled in Kashan, where they developed a new style of luster painting. Some of the decoration, like the row of small‑scale horseback riders parading around this bottle, relates to manuscript illustration. Hallmarks of this "miniature style" include the checkerboard trees and dotted branches seen on this object.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Bottle with Bulb-Shaped Neck
Date: 12th century
Geography: Attributed to Iran
Medium: Stonepaste; luster-painted on opaque monochrome glaze
Dimensions: H. 13 in. (33 cm)
Max. Diam. 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm)
Classification: Ceramics
Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1966
Object Number: 66.175.1
Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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Luster Bowl with Winged Horse, Stonepaste; luster-painted on opaque monochrome glaze — Luster Bowl with Winged Horse
late 12th century

Turquoise Bowl with Lute Player and Audience, Stonepaste; glazed (opaque monochrome), in-glaze- and overglaze-painted, gilded — Turquoise Bowl with Lute Player and Audience
late 12th–early 13th century

Pierced Jug with Harpies and Sphinxes, Stonepaste; openwork, underglaze-painted, glazed in transparent turquoise — Pierced Jug with Harpies and Sphinxes
dated 612 AH/1215–16 CE

Mihrab (Prayer Niche), Mosaic of polychrome-glazed cut tiles on stonepaste body; set into mortar — Mihrab (Prayer Niche)
dated 755 AH/1354–55 CE

Ewer, Brass; raised, repoussé, inlaid with silver and a black compound — Ewer
ca. 1180–1210

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