Who made this?
It is hypothesized that this bowl was made in the Black Sea region, most likely by a Byzantine potter. As this area opened up to diverse groups of people who were primarily Muslim during the crusades, Byzantine and Islamic culture began to collide. Artistic traditions and motifs were getting adopted by Byzantine potters, for example, the harpy motif on this bowl is an Islamic motif. Aspects of the design and patterns, like the curlicues on the back of this bowl and on the legs of the harpy, are also typical of Islamic designs. However, the circular and linear designs that describes the feathers are typical of Byzantine design. Evidently, the maker of this bowl was most likely a Byzantine potter who was strongly influenced by Islamic traditions.
The result is this wonderful bowl that showcases the merging and sharing of ideas that was made possible by the spark of the Crusades.