Earthenware, Ceramics and Tiles at the Smithsonian Museum

By Smithsonian's Museums of Asian Arts on October 20, 2011 in Ceramics · 0 Comments

A collection of Earthenware (stone paste, clay, glazed), Ceramics and Tiles at the Freer and Sackler Galleries of Smithsonian’s Museums of Asian Art.

Bowl | Origin: Iran | Period: 10th century Samanid period | Details: This deep bowl exemplifies the high technical quality and compositional sophistication achieved in 10th-century ceramics from northeastern Iran. Its central decoration consists of an abstract tree with five branches ending in palmettes and revolving around a small rosette. The dominant counter-clockwise movement of the stems is subtlely reversed by a branch to the trunk’s leftÂ— a shift that ingeniously draws attention to the ovoid mark at the beginning of the Arabic inscription below. This inscription is bordered at the rim by a band of red and black scallops and on the walls by a series of irregular panels following the contours of the letters. It translates as follows: “It is said that he is content with his own opinion runs into danger. Blessing to the owner.” | Type: Earthenware painted under glaze | Size: H: 11.2 W: 39.3 D: 39.3 cm | Museum Code: F1957.24 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Bowl | Origin: Iraq | Period: 9th century Abbasid period | Details: Among the earliest surviving works of art decorated with writing are a group of ceramic vessels, produced in Iraq and Iran under the rule of the powerful Abbasid dynasty (749Â–1258). Inspired by the whiteness and purity of the much admired, imported Chinese porcelain, Muslim potters created their own “white ware” by covering their buff-colored earthenware vessels with a glaze containing a small amount of lead and tin, which turns opaque when fired. Unlike the Chinese models, most of the Abbasid vessels were embellished with a variety of motifs, including calligraphic designs. This bowl combines both vegetal motifs and calligraphic design in cobalt and copper glazes. Surrounded by windswept palmettes, the inscription in the center confers blessings to the owner. | Type: Bowl; earthenware painted over glaze. | Size: H: 5.7 W: 20.8 D: 20.8 cm | Museum Code: F2000.2 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Dish | Origin: Iran or Afghanistan | Period: 10th century Samanid period | Details: Among the most distinct and impressive examples of Persian ceramics are a group produced during the reign of the Samanids (819-1005) in Khurasan in northeastern Iran, present-day Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan. These vessels are embellished with inscriptions, usually in the form of a moralizing proverb. The inscription on this small plate reads, Excellence if the quality of the people of paradise. | Type: Earthenware painted under glaze | Size: H: 3.6 W: 21.0 cm | Museum Code: F1965.27 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Charger | Origin: Iran | Period: mid-15th century Timurid period | Details: Timurid production of blue-and-white ceramics flourished in fifteenth-century Iran. The decoration of this large molded plate centers on a wheel-like motif. Its stylized octafoil design of alternating scale and wave patterns was adapted from Chinese models. The plate illustrates the Timurid interest in Chinese decorative motifs, which were adapted to Persian taste and translated into different media. | Type: Stone-paste with cobalt decoration under a translucent blue glaze | Size: H: 7.6 W: 40.0 D: 40.0 cm | Museum Code: F1999.7 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Bowl | Origin: Iran or Uzbekistan | Period: 10th century Samanid period | Details: The facing birds on this bowlÂ—one of the most popular motifs on Persian ceramics of the ninth and tenth centuriesÂ—conceal the Arabic word “blessing” on their undersides. They can be regarded as the first zoomorphic inscriptions and indicate the secular use of these ceramic wares. | Type: Earthenware painted under glaze | Size: H: 6.6 W: 21.8 cm | Museum Code: F1956.1 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Beehive cover | Origin: Iran | Period: dated 1884-85 | Details: Among some of the more unusual ceramic objects from Islamic Iran are beehive covers, some of which date back to at least the seventeenth century. Beekeeping was widely practiced throughout the Islamic world and because bees are singled out in the Koran, Islam’s holy text, they enjoy particular status among other animals and insects. The designs on the two covers on view are intended as protective and auspicious symbols and are characteristic of the more vernacular ceramic tradition that has existed in the Islamic Near East for centuries. | Type: Stone-paste painted under glaze | Size: H: 1.4 W: 23.0 D: 23.0 cm | Museum Code: S1997.122 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Beehive cover | Origin: Iran | Period: late 19th-early 20th century | Details: Among some of the more unusual ceramic objects from Islamic Iran are beehive covers, some of which date back to at least the seventeenth century. Beekeeping was widely practiced throughout the Islamic world and because bees are singled out in the Koran, Islam’s holy text, they enjoy particular status among other animals and insects. The designs on the two covers on view are intended as protective and auspicious symbols and are characteristic of the more vernacular ceramic tradition that has existed in the Islamic Near East for centuries. | Type: Stone-paste painted under glaze | Size: H: 1.5 W: 22.1 D: 22.1 cm | Museum Code: S1997.124 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Plate | Origin: Iznik, Turkey | Period: ca. 1500 Ottoman period | Details: This elegant dish combines blossoms, leaves, and crescent-shaped motifs linked by gracefully interlaced and knotted tendrils. It belongs to a group of blue-and-white wares produced in the Turkish city of Iznik during the early sixteenth century. Inspired by manuscript illumination, reverse-painted motifssome outlined and shaded in dark blue to create a three-dimensional effectare characteristic of early Iznik ceramics. While the blue-and-white palette and the blossoms circling the interior rim and exterior well recall Chinese porcelains, these elements are now synthesized into a new and original style expressing Ottoman sensitivity and taste. | Type: Composite body painted under glaze | Size: H: 6.5 W: 39.3 D: 39.3 cm | Museum Code: F1954.3 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Dish | Origin: Iznik, Turkey | Period: 1530s Ottoman period | Details: This plate is representative of one type of underglaze-painted ceramic produced in Iznik during the sixteenth century. The earliest type was blue-and-white ware decorated in the center with floral scrolls and on the rim with wave and foam patterns. Such motifs emulate designs on Chinese porcelains, which had become extremely popular at the Ottoman court. By mid-century, the palette of Iznik ceramics had expanded to include turquoise, green, purple, and a unique tomato red. The decorative repertoire also grew, and recognizable species of flora and fauna were commonly depicted. | Type: Stone-paste painted under glaze | Size: H: 5.8 W: 18.8 D: 31.2 cm | Museum Code: F1963.7 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Bowl | Origin: Samarra, Iraq | Period: 9th century Khalid active 9th century), Abbasid period | Details: This luster-painted bowl, signed by a Khalid, is a pivotal piece, linking the tradition of luster-painted ceramics, which originated and flourished in late ninth- and early tenth-century Iraq, to production in Egypt, after the gradual disintegration of the Abbasid Empire in the tenth century. The drawing of the proud bird of prey, probably an eagle or hawk, differs considerably in conception and execution from other designs found on ninth-century Abbasid luster painted ceramics, which favor highly stylized and whimsical animal forms. While still abstracted, the crisply delineated eagle is resting one talon on a desperate hare and exudes a sense of tremendous pride and presence. The eagle is further distinguished by a collar around its neck and a ribbon attached to one of its legs. The decoration of the bowl is also notable for the wreath encircling the edge of the bowl. Such motifs are found on ninth-century Abbasid tiles from Samarra, and harks back to earlier Sassanian and Byzantine motifs. | Type: Earthenware painted over glaze with luster | Size: W: 9.1 cm | Museum Code: F2005.10 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Bowl | Origin: Egypt | Period: 12th century Fatimid period | Details: Figural representations also played a prominent role in luster-painted ceramics from twelfth century Egypt. Although the vessels were made from coarser clay than the earlier Iraqi examples, the decoration, like much of the art of the Fatimid period (909-1171), tended to be more animated and naturalistic. The plate is also embellished with an inscription bestowing good wishes on its anonymous owner. The small bowl is entirely decorated with individual words, such as “pleasure,” “happiness,” and “wealth.” Using an ornate kufic, or angular script, the potter has drawn on the decorative qualities of the written words to create a rather unusual design. | Type: Earthenware painted over glaze with luster | Size: H: 8.9 W: 21.0 D: 21.0 cm | Museum Code: F1936.2 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Jar | Origin: Raqqa, Syria | Period: late 12th-early 13th century | Details: Before the devastating Mongol invasion in the mid-thirteenth century, the city of Rakka in northern Syria became an important ceramic center. This elegant jar is characteristic of one type of ware associated with Rakka. It is decorated with bold black designs under a transparent turquoise glaze that is often quite thickly applied and appears almost in relief. | Type: Stone-paste painted in black under turquoise glaze | Size: H: 31.1 W: 21.6 cm | Museum Code: F1908.136 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Tankard | Origin: Iznik, Turkey | Period: late 16th century Ottoman period | Details: In addition to floral, vegetal, and geometric designs, the decoration of Turkish ceramic wares from the city of Iznik occasionally features maritime imagery. The boats on this drinking vessel sail past islands accentuated by small castles, large birds, and pairs of cypress trees. Similar imagery appears in sixteenth century Turkish manuscript illustration, revealing the close connection between the arts during the Ottoman period. | Type: Composite body painted under glaze | Size: H: 21.1 W: 16.4 D: 12.3 cm | Museum Code: F1968.68 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Beehive cover | Origin: Iran | Period: 19th-20th century | Details: Among some of the more unusual ceramic objects from Islamic Iran are beehive covers, some of which date back to at least the seventeenth century. Beekeeping was widely practiced throughout the Islamic world and because bees are singled out in the Koran, Islam’s holy text, they enjoy particular status among other animals and insects. The designs on the two covers on view are intended as protective and auspicious symbols and are characteristic of the more vernacular ceramic tradition that has existed in the Islamic Near East for centuries. | Type: Stone-paste with glaze | Size: H: 2.7 W: 21.5 D: 21.5 cm | Museum Code: S1997.123 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Tile | Origin: Iznik, Turkey | Period: ca. 1575 Ottoman period | Details: The ambitious architectural projects sponsored by Suleyman the Magnificent (reigned 1522Â–60) and his ruling elite in the sixteenth century provided the necessary impetus for large-scale production of Iznik tiles. Using certain standardized sizes and shapes, Iznik tiles and three-dimensional objects share many of the same motifs and color combinations. The design for this tile is clearly part of a repeat pattern, which would have animated an interior or exterior surface, much like a curtain or a piece of textile. | Type: Stone-paste body painted under glaze | Size: H: 31.3 W: 30.0 D: 2.4 cm | Museum Code: F2001.15 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Panel from a mihrab | Origin: Probably Kashan, Iran | Period: early 14th century Il-Khanid period | Details: This glazed panel, adorned with an arabesque design in relief, originally formed the upper section of large tile mihrab . It is inscribed with a verse from the Koran (sura 11, verse 114): In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Perform prayer morning and evening, and in the watches of the night. Behold, good works and drive away evil. | Type: Molded stone-paste; painted under glaze with color and over glaze with luster | Size: H: 66.4 W: 59.0 D: 10.7 cm | Museum Code: F1909.319 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Tile | Origin: Takht-i Sulayman, Iran | Period: 14th century Il-khanid period | Details: In the Islamic world, ceramics makers emphasized brightly colored glazes and intricate designs to animate relatively simple shapes and architectural tiles. Drawing on a variety of decorative sources, they continually expanded and refined their repertoire of calligraphic, abstract, and figurative motifs. Some of the designs, such as the soaring phoenix on this fourteenth-century turquoise molded tile, reflect Iran’s contacts with other artistic traditions, in particular China. Such “exotic” motifs became an integral part of the Persian visual language and were skillfully adapted to satisfy local taste and aesthetic preferences. | Type: Stone-paste painted and gilded under and over glaze | Size: H: 20.9 W: 21.3 D: 2.0 cm | Museum Code: S1997.114 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Tile | Origin: Iran | Period: early 13th century Saljuq period | Details: Throughout the twelfth and thirteenth century, human and animal imagery permeated all media. Although the meaning and function of this sensitively rendered deer is unclear, it underlines the new artistic fascination with the natural world. | Type: Stone-paste painted over glaze with luster | Size: H: 14.3 W: 12.7 cm | Museum Code: F1903.197 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Tile | Origin: Iznik, Turkey | Period: ca. 1525-50 Ottoman period | Details: During the early sixteenth century, Iznik ceramic production focused primarily on vessels. With the accession of the Ottoman ruler Sultan Sulayman (reigned 1522Â–60), and his ambitious building projects throughout the empire, demand for Iznik tiles grew and rivaled that for ceramic objects. The elegant design of this blue-and-white tile, combining full lotus flowers, broken stems, and serrated leaves, finds many parallels in contemporary ink drawings, textiles, and manuscript illumination. By drawing on a distinct body of designs and skillfully adapting these to different media, sixteenth-century Ottoman artists lend their work a recognizable visual unity and artistic identity. | Type: Stone-paste painted under glaze | Size: H: 27.8 W: 24.4 D: 2.8 cm | Museum Code: F1998.298 | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

Tiles | Origin: Turkey | Period: circa 1525 Ottoman period | Details: During the height of Ottoman power in the sixteenth century, the ruling elite sponsored the construction of numerous monumental complexes throughout the empire, which provided fresh impetus for tile production. These three rectangular tiles are among the earliest examples associated with the city of Iznik, the most important center for Ottoman ceramic manufacture. Notable for their delicate blue and white palette and elegant design, the tiles, much like early Iznik vessels, integrate Chinese and Ottoman decorative elements into the overall design. Similar tiles can still be seen in the mausoleum of Prince Mahmud, the son of the Ottoman ruler Beyazid II (reigned 1481-1512), built in Bursa shortly after Mahmud’s execution in 1506. | Type: Composite body painted under glaze | Size: H: 36.5 W: 9.5 cm | Museum Code: F1980.181a-c | Photograph and description taken from Freer and the Sackler (Smithsonian) Museums.

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Tags: bowls, ceramic, ceramics, clay, earthenware, eight pointed star, freer gallery of art, glazed, plates, sackler gallery of art, six pointed star, smithsonian institution, stars, tiles

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About the Author

Smithsonian's Museums of Asian Arts

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The Freer and Sackler galleries have one of the finest collections of Islamic art in the United States, with particular strengths in ceramics and illustrated manuscripts. Highlights of the collection include: * An important collection of ceramics from the 9th–13th century, representing a variety of shapes, techniques, and designs, primarily from Iran and the Arab world. * Egyptian and Syrian metalwork from the 13th century, including two of the most important examples decorated with Christian imagery. * A collection of 9th–19th-century Korans (intact volumes and detached folios) from Iran, the Arab world, and Turkey. * 14th-century Syrian glass. * A distinguished collection of illustrated and illuminated manuscripts from Iran and the Arab world, including the Divan (Collected poems) of Sultan Ahmad Jalayir, ca. 1400; Haft Awrang (Seven Thrones) by Jami, dated 1556–66; and the largest number of illustrations from the 14th-century Mongol Shahnama (Book of Kings), one of the most important illustrated texts of the Islamic world. * Some one-hundred 19th-century Central Asia ikats from the Guido Goldman Collection. The Smithsonian Institution has two museums of Asian art: the Freer Gallery of Art which opened to the public in 1923, and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, which welcomed its first visitors in 1987. Both are physically connected by an underground passageway, and ideologically linked through the study, exhibition, and sheer love of Asian art. In addition, the Freer Gallery contains an important collection of 19th century American art punctuated by James McNeill Whistler's Peacock Room, perhaps one of the earliest (and certainly one of the most controversial) art installations on record. Each building has its own aesthetic: the Freer is designed in a classical style whose architectural nexus is a courtyard that used to house live peacocks in the museum's early days. It was Charles Lang Freer's goal to facilitate the appreciation of world cultures through art, a noble undertaking as important today as it was more than a century ago, when he first willed his artwork and archives to the nation.

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Earthenware, Ceramics and Tiles at the Smithsonian Museum

LACMA Collection of Islamic Calligraphy

Safavid Ceramics and Tiles

Ceramic Tiles Collection at LACMA.

About the Author

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Earthenware, Ceramics and Tiles at the Smithsonian Museum

LACMA Collection of Islamic Calligraphy

Safavid Ceramics and Tiles

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