Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Islamic Ceramics

A select catalogue of the Ashmolean's collection of ceramics from the Islamic world from the 9th to 18th century, by James Allen (published Oxford, 1991).

Islamic ceramics, by James W. Allan

Publications online: 46 objects

Reference URL

Actions

Send e-mail

Contact us about this object

Send e-mail

Send to a friend

Jug with epigraphic decoration

  • Literature notes

    After initially using the stone-paste body to imitate the white Chinese porcelains, the Islamic potter in his accustomed way started to add colour. First he added a single colour to the glaze – cobalt for blue (no. 7 [EAX.1206]), manganese for purple, or, as here, copper for turquoise. In a lead glaze copper turns green (no. 4 [EA1974.48]), but in the alkaline glazes used on stone-paste it turns turquoise, and it is this turquoise which has been the hall-mark of Persian ceramics and tiled domes ever since its introduction in the eleventh – twelfth century.

    The design on the jug is calligraphic, using stylised kufic script. Calligraphy was of far more importance in Islamic culture than in the Christian west. The Arabic text of the Koran was considered to be a transcription of an eternal Koran, written in Arabic, kept in Heaven. The words and letters thus had a holiness of their own. Taken alongside the antipathy towards the use of images in a strictly religious context (p.4 [Introduction]), this explains why the decorative possibilities of the Arabic script were so fully explored by Islamic artists, and accounts for the popularity of calligraphic designs, in media, like ceramics, less suited to them. Here the Arabic words for ‘glory’ and ‘prosperity’ gives the impression of having been designed by an illiterate craftsmen. His customers, however, would have been uplifted by the presence of Arabic script on their purchases, and even if they too were illiterate, would have taken it as symbolising the good wishes which were the potter’s original intention.
  • Details

    Associated place
    Asia Iran (place of creation)
    Date
    2nd half of the 12th century - early 13th century
    Great Seljuq Period (1040 - 1194)
    Material and technique
    fritware, with moulded decoration under a turquoise glaze
    Dimensions
    21.6 cm (height)
    15 cm max. (diameter)
    at mouth 9.2 cm (diameter)
    Material index
    Technique index
    coveredcoated glazed,
    Object type index
    containervessel jug
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Bequeathed by Professor A. H. Sayce, 1935.
    Accession no.
    EAX.3110
  • Further reading

    Allan, James W., Islamic Ceramics, Ashmolean-Christie's Handbooks (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 1991), no. 8 on p. 18, illus. p. 19

Glossary (2)

fritware, glaze

  • fritware

    Ceramic material composed of ground quartz and small quantities of clay and finely ground frit (frit is obtained by pouring molten glass into water).

  • glaze

    Vitreous coating applied to the surface of a ceramic to make it impermeable or for decorative effect.

Location

    • First floor | Room 31 | Islamic Middle East

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

Collection trails

Publications online

  • Islamic ceramics, by James W. Allan

    Islamic Ceramics

    After initially using the stone-paste body to imitate the white Chinese porcelains, the Islamic potter in his accustomed way started to add colour. First he added a single colour to the glaze – cobalt for blue (no. 7 [EAX.1206]), manganese for purple, or, as here, copper for turquoise. In a lead glaze copper turns green (no. 4 [EA1974.48]), but in the alkaline glazes used on stone-paste it turns turquoise, and it is this turquoise which has been the hall-mark of Persian ceramics and tiled domes ever since its introduction in the eleventh – twelfth century.

    The design on the jug is calligraphic, using stylised kufic script. Calligraphy was of far more importance in Islamic culture than in the Christian west. The Arabic text of the Koran was considered to be a transcription of an eternal Koran, written in Arabic, kept in Heaven. The words and letters thus had a holiness of their own. Taken alongside the antipathy towards the use of images in a strictly religious context (p.4 [Introduction]), this explains why the decorative possibilities of the Arabic script were so fully explored by Islamic artists, and accounts for the popularity of calligraphic designs, in media, like ceramics, less suited to them. Here the Arabic words for ‘glory’ and ‘prosperity’ gives the impression of having been designed by an illiterate craftsmen. His customers, however, would have been uplifted by the presence of Arabic script on their purchases, and even if they too were illiterate, would have taken it as symbolising the good wishes which were the potter’s original intention.
Notice

Object information may not accurately reflect the actual contents of the original publication, since our online objects contain current information held in our collections database. Click on 'buy this publication' to purchase printed versions of our online publications, where available, or contact the Jameel Study Centre to arrange access to books on our collections that are now out of print.

© 2013 University of Oxford - Ashmolean Museum