Artwork Page for Bowl with Flying Birds

Details / Information for Bowl with Flying Birds

Bowl with Flying Birds

1280–1400

Iran, probably Kashan, Ilkhanid period

(1256–1353)
Medium
Fritware with underglaze-painted design, Sultanabad ware
Measurements
Overall: 11.2 x 22 cm (4 7/16 x 8 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1915.589
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
116 Islamic
Print
?

Did You Know?

This bowl was made after the Mongol conquest of Iran in the 13th century.

Description

During the Ilkhanid period, decorative motifs from China were adopted into Persian art, including dragons, phoenixes, and lotus blossoms, which are seen on this bowl. Lotus blossoms were easily integrated into the existing tradition of floral and vegetal elements in Islamic art, while the phoenix was equated with the simurgh, a mythical bird known from the epic Persian poem the Shahnameh, or Book of Kings. The white slip designs on a gray background are typical of these wares, while the flat rim is influenced by Chinese vessels. This type of pottery was widely exported, and possibly imitated, as it has been found in excavations from Central Asia to Egypt.
A circular fritware bowl features three birds circling a central point among dense, rounded foliage. Painted in green and cream with dark brown outlines, the energetic pattern fills the interior. The rim is defined by a wide dark green band punctuated with white dots. Fine, web-like cracks extend across the glaze, while light catches along the vessel's curve. The rhythmic composition creates a sense of motion within the deep circular form.

Bowl with Flying Birds

1280–1400

Iran, probably Kashan, Ilkhanid period (1256–1353)

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