Luster-Painted Bowl

9th-10th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Animals—a popular theme during the Byzantine era—continued to appear in early Islamic art. Hares represented plenty and the hunt, a popular activity of the elite for centuries.
Three alert hares alternate with stylized palmettes in an interlocking pattern. The overall design resembles the beveled style of carving found at Samarra, briefly the Abbasid capital.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Luster-Painted Bowl
  • Date: 9th-10th century
  • Geography: Made in Iraq or Egypt
  • Medium: Ceramic with monochrome luster decoration over an
    opaque glaze
  • Dimensions: Diam: 8 7/16 in. (21.4 cm)
  • Classification: Ceramics
  • Credit Line: Benaki Museum, Athens (1157)
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters