Islamic Ceramics

Islam emerged as a faith in the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century, and rapidly spread to neighbouring lands, covering an area from Arabia, North Africa and Syria to Iran in the East, and Spain in the West. Local artistic styles of the conquered lands were absorbed and assimilated within the artistic culture of Islam. This is reflected in the ceramics of the early Islamic period (7th - 10th century) which continued to use the techniques and styles of the Byzantines, Parthians and Sasanians, and it was not until the 9th/10th century that a unique Islamic style emerged. 

Wheel thrown ceramics with stamped geometric and animal designs, as well as moulded wares, are characteristic in early Islamic ceramics of the 8th century, while new glazed wares including Iraqi ‘blue-and-white’ mono- and polychrome lustre emerged in the 9th century Abbasid period. As trade with China increased, Abbasid potters learnt the glazing techniques employed by Chinese potters, particularly the addition of tin oxide to transparent lead glaze, which imitated in appearance the highly-regarded fine white Chinese porcelain. Another technique introduced by Islamic potters was the use of lustre decoration with its luminous metallic sheen, and from the 10th century onward, different types of slip to cover the local clays, as well as new decorative styles in the form of calligraphy, were introduced.

The Seljuk period in Iran (12th - 13th century) saw the development of ‘frit ware’, made from white clay, quartz, and glass dust, which permitted the moulding of finer shapes with thinner walls. One of the main production centres included Kashan, best known for its fine lustre painted pottery. Lustre decoration was popular and highly regarded, but expensive to produce. The glaze was made of the finest metals such as silver, gold and copper. The lustre technique may have developed as a response to laws prohibiting excessive ostentation in the form of dishes made from precious metals.