Byzantine or Crusader Bowl with Kufic Inscription (DO BZ.1985.23)
This oval ceramic bowl epitomizes Islamic ceramics created and imitated by Crusaders during the Byzantine period. The pseudo-Kufic inscription on the inner part of the ceramic provides evidence that this bowl was manufactured by a Crusader and not an individual with knowledge of the Arabic language. The attempt at re-transcribing Arabic hints at the glorification Crusaders had for Islamic art and how they adapted Islamic culture into their own. The quartered cobalt and gold luster inner inscriptions visually correspond to known Islamic art of the 13th-14th century, further supporting Christian Crusaders’ admiration for Islamic art. The lustreware and pictorial design on the inner part of the bowl hint that this bowl was used decoratively in one’s home and not purposed for everyday food consumption.