Harvard Art Museums > 2002.50.61: Fragmentary Bowl with Inscription Vessels Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Fragmentary Bowl with Inscription , 2002.50.61,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Dec 12, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/165392. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 2002.50.61 Title Fragmentary Bowl with Inscription Classification Vessels Work Type vessel Date 10th century Places Creation Place: Middle East, Iran or Uzbekistan, Nishapur or Samarkand Period Samanid period Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/165392 Physical Descriptions Medium Reddish earthenware covered in white slip and painted with black (manganese and iron) under clear lead glaze Technique Underglazed, painted Dimensions 11.4 x 32.8 cm (4 1/2 x 12 15/16 in.) Provenance Recorded Ownership History [Mansour Gallery, London, 1972], sold; to Stanford and Norma Jean Calderwood, Belmont, MA (1972-2002), gift; to Harvard Art Museums, 2002. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, The Norma Jean Calderwood Collection of Islamic Art Accession Year 2002 Object Number 2002.50.61 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description The inscription painted around the rim of this fragmentary bowl has thus far defied reading. It is possible that the many sherds from which the bowl was reconstructed before Norma Jean Calderwood purchased it were positioned incorrectly. During its subsequent cleaning and reassembly, several “alien” sherds were removed and retained for study. In a few areas, the brownish-black slip has run slightly in the glaze towards the center of the bowl, which is decorated with a small revolving motif resembling the modern symbol for a hurricane. Except for the beveled base, which is only partially covered, the reddish ceramic fabric is enveloped in white slip under a clear glaze. Published Catalogue Text: In Harmony: The Norma Jean Calderwood Collection of Islamic Art , written 2013131 Fragmentary bowl with inscription Eastern Iran or Central Asia, Samanid period, 10th century[1] Reddish earthenware covered in white slip and painted with black (manganese and iron) under clear lead glaze 11.4 × 32.8 cm (4 1/2 × 12 15/16 in.) 2002.50.61 The inscription painted around the rim of this fragmentary bowl has thus far defied reading. It is possible that the many sherds from which the bowl was reconstructed before Norma Jean Calderwood purchased it were positioned incorrectly. During its subsequent cleaning and reassembly, several “alien” sherds were removed and retained for study.[2] In a few areas, the brownish-black slip has run slightly in the glaze towards the center of the bowl, which is decorated with a small revolving motif resembling the modern symbol for a hurricane. Except for the beveled base, which is only partially covered, the reddish ceramic fabric is enveloped in white slip under a clear glaze. Mary McWilliams [1] The bowl was last fired between 700 and 1200 years ago, according to the results of thermoluminescence analysis carried out by Oxford Authentication Ltd. in 2002. [2] See, in this volume, the discussion of reconstructing ceramic vessels from unrelated sherds in Anthony B. Sigel’s essay, “History in Pieces: Conservation Issues in Islamic Ceramics,” 37–49. Publication History Mary McWilliams, ed., In Harmony: The Norma Jean Calderwood Collection of Islamic Art, exh. cat., Harvard Art Museums (Cambridge, MA, 2013), p. 263, cat. 131, ill. Related Works 2002.50.61.A-B 2 Large fragments to Bowl with Fragmentary Inscription Fragments Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu