The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of September 9, 2026

A circular turquoise fritware dish features bold black underglaze designs. A multi-petaled rosette anchors the center, from which thin, curving vines radiate toward the rim, ending in spiky, leaf-like clusters. The composition is framed by a wide border of interlocking, scalloped lines. The vibrant turquoise glaze covers the entire surface, showing subtle variations and dark specks, while the energetic black linework creates a sense of rhythmic movement across the plate.

Dish

c. 1600

Caucasus or northern Iran

Fritware with underglaze design in black slip, Kubachi ware
Diameter: 34.2 cm (13 7/16 in.)
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1915.595
Location: 116 Islamic

Did You Know?

Because many of these vessels were found in peasant houses in the town of Kubachi in the Caucasus, the name "Kubachi" ware was given to the entire group.

Description

This type of pottery is named after a town in the Caucasus, a region between the Black and Caspian Seas that encompasses modern-day Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and parts of southern Russia, where many of these objects were found. However, it is likely that Kubachi wares were produced in northwestern Iran using fritware, a ceramic that incorporates large amounts of crushed quartz into white clay. The use of black slip to paint designs under a turquoise glaze is striking and highlights the free-flowing floral motif.
  • ?–1915
    (Dikran G. Kelekian [1867–1951], New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1915–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Art of the Islamic World (Islamic art rotation). The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (May 21, 2021-May 31, 2022).
  • {{cite web|title=Dish|url=false|author=|year=c. 1600|access-date=09 September 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1915.595