Where was this bowl produced?
Scholars at the Worcester Art Museum have been able to attribute this bowl to Rayy, a medieval city just outside of present day Tehran, Iran. A descendent of Ancient Rahgah - one of the earliest cities in Iran - Rayy was captured by Muslim Arabs in 640 and later served as the residence of the governors in charge of eastern Iran. By the 10th century Rayy had become one of the most prominent cities in Western Asia, and flourished under Seljuk rule. Alongside Kashan, Rayy was a famous center for silk and ceramic production. Archeologists have attributed both enamel and lusterwares of a variety of shapes, patterns and sizes to the Rayy region. However, mysteriously, no kilns have ever been excavated from the city.
Rayy is one of many in a long line of major lusterware production sites. Lusterware was first produced in Basra, Iraq, and later in Iran. Production then traveled around the Mediterranean moving west into Egypt under the Fatimid Caliphate, and spreading across North Africa into Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Libya. The ceramic technique was then introduced in Málaga, Spain, before returning to the near East under the Persian Seljuks.
