A Raqqa lustre pottery vase, Syria, first half 13th century

the pear-shaped body rising to a narrow neck with raised moulding and flaring trumpet-shaped mouth, resting on a short everted foot, decorated in overglaze lustre with touches of turquoise and cobalt blue under the transparent alkaline glaze, decorated to the body with vertical panels, each with a central palmette on a scroll ground flanked by calligraphic and pseudo-calligraphic panels, the neck with a calligraphic frieze, the interior of the mouth with scalloped edge painted in lustre

body intact, repair to the mouth with plaster infill and touching in, as viewed
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

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The shape is unusual for Raqqa pottery. A faceted vase of comparable profile is to be found in the collections of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (inv. no.1978.2215; illustrated in Jenkins-Madina, M., Raqqa Revisited. Ceramics of Ayyubid Syria, New York, 2006, p.76, no.W730). The Oxford piece is a waster from Raqqa proving local production. The origins of the vase form lies in metalwork of the period, a fact attested by the raised moulding at the base of the neck which in the metal prototype serves to mask the juncture of the body and neck, but in the ceramic version is plainly redundant. For an example of the metal form, see the piece sold in these rooms, 18 April 2007, lot 74.