Bowl with Emphasis on Colors and Shapes
1 media/Bowl with emphasis on blue and geometric _thumb.JPG 2022-11-15T19:03:26-08:00 Abigail Koczko 64292fb6d9ec48a944d80c9b5c10c6d257aea1f9 39447 1 Fragmentary Ceramic Bowl with Kufic Inscription, Byzantine or Crusader, circa thirteenth-fourteenth century, ceramic , Washington D.C., Dumbarton Oaks, Byzantine Collection, BZ.1985.23 , ©Dumbarton Oaks plain 2022-11-15T19:03:26-08:00 Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University, Washington, D.C. Byzantine Collection BZ.1985.23.1 Tiff Resolution: 600 dpi; Jpg Resolution: 72 dpi Tiff Compression: LZW; Jpg Compression: Level 7 Tiff version: 6.0 24 bit RGB color Image Delivery Systems 03/15/01 Abigail Koczko 64292fb6d9ec48a944d80c9b5c10c6d257aea1f9This page is referenced by:
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How was this made?
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Abigail Koczko
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Ceramics traditionally consist of materials that are shaped and hardened by heating to high temperatures. Kilns were the method through which a more sophisticated potter would create their ceramics. The process of firing a piece would consist of putting the formed ceramic in a kiln and burning things within the kiln to create the high temperatures. The kiln would have to be structurally sound, fire-resistant, and withstand high temperatures.
Before the firing process, a slip or a decorative paint-like bonding substance would be added to the ceramic. When fired, the slip would appear as a paint-like finish on the clay but would be more durable than paint due to its adhesive qualities. The white slip on the "Byzantine or Crusader Bowl" would have been applied to the bowl and left to dry before adding the other colorful elements of the piece.
The lustreware on the ceramic bowl also has an interesting history. Lustreware arises from the iridescent effect that the ceramic is graced with upon firing. Traditionally, copper and silver oxides were added to a glaze, and firing made the metals are oxidize to create an ultra-thin iridescent layer of pure metal. This layer is very fragile and can be easily damaged. Because of its fragile nature, any ceramic containing lustreware would be designed for decorative purposes and not intended for constant use through physical handling.
Historically, the technology for producing lustreware originates from the eighth century during the Abbasid Caliphate in Iraq. Most lustreware manufacturing was centered in Baghdad in the earlier stages of lustreware. Egypt eventually became a center of production and commerce of lustreware ceramics. Following the fall of Egypt's Fatimid Dynasty, Persian (Iranian) ceramics faced a revolution through the travel along the silk roads. Traditional Chinese porcelain glazing techniques were shared across this route, and the Persians adopted their method soon after. In later centuries, Persian and Middle Eastern lustreware was often accompanied by complex geometric patterns in cobalt or green colors. This can be seen in the "Byzantine or Crusader Bowl," as pictured below.
