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A white ceramic vessel with a round body and a smaller top opening. On the body is a pattern of slanted lines and a floral pattern with tiny holes in it.

A white ceramic vessel standing upright on a grey background with its handle toward the left. The pitcher has a round body, a smaller flat top opening, a simple handle that curves down, and a small flat foot. On the body are two bands, one with a pattern of slanted vertical lines and above it is a broad floral pattern with tiny holes in it.

Gallery Text

As central control weakened in the Abbasid Empire, regional dynasties arose to support, challenge, or redefine the authority of the caliph in Baghdad. The arts flourished in many centers, and wealthy merchant and professional classes emerged. A dramatic increase in productivity and innovation and an unprecedented expansion of figural decoration characterize the arts of this period.

A transforming event was the influx of Turkic and Mongol peoples from Central and Inner Asia. Most of the objects in this case were created in lands ruled by the most important of the Turkic dynasties, the Great Seljuks (1038–1157), and their immediate successors, the Atabegs. The Mongol invasions into Islamic lands began in the early 1200s and culminated in the 1258 sack of Baghdad. Eventually, the Mongols established their rule as the Yuan dynasty in China, the Chagatay Khanate in Central Asia, the Golden Horde Khanate in southern Russia, and the Ilkhanid dynasty (1256–1335) in greater Iran. The integration of a vast Eurasian territory into the Mongol Empire facilitated commerce and communication, bringing fresh Chinese inspiration into Islamic art.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1936.44
Title
Pitcher with Openwork and Molded Decoration
Classification
Vessels
Work Type
vessel
Date
11th-12th century
Places
Creation Place: Africa, Egypt?
Period
Fatimid period
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/216885

Location

Location
Level 2, Room 2550, Art from Islamic Lands, The Middle East and North Africa
View this object's location on our interactive map

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Fritware
Technique
Glazed
Dimensions
16.5 x 11.5 cm (6 1/2 x 4 1/2 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Sarah C. Sears collection, Boston, MA, (by 1935). Mrs. J. D. Cameron Bradley, (by 1936), bequest; to Fogg Art Museum, 1936.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Sarah C. Sears Collection
Accession Year
1936
Object Number
1936.44
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Descriptions

Description
To imitate the whiteness of Chinese ceramics, Muslim potters added large quantities of crushed quartz to their clays, creating fritware. The practice probably began in Iraq before spreading to Egypt and Iran. Artists staunchly guarded craft secrets, but their own mobility combined with long-distance commerce ensured the circulation of decorative styles and techniques. Covered only in a clear glaze, this jug reveals fritware’s pure white body.

Exhibition History

  • Overlapping Realms: Arts of the Islamic World and India, 900-1900, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 12/02/2006 - 03/23/2008
  • 32Q: 2550 Islamic, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/16/2014 - 01/01/2050

Subjects and Contexts

  • Google Art Project

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