Arts of the Islamic World & India including Fine Rugs and Carpets

A large calligraphic Samanid pottery dish, Nishapur or Samarqand, 10th century

Auction Closed

March 30, 12:47 PM GMT

Estimate

25,000 - 35,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

of rounded form on short foot, with flaring rim, the earthenware body decorated in white slip with a single line of dark brown Kufic calligraphy around the rim, the exterior plain

38.7cm. diam.

Please note that there may be restrictions on the import of property of Iranian origin into the USA and some or all member countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council. Any buyers planning to import property of Iranian origin into any of these countries should satisfy themselves of the relevant import regime. Sotheby's will not assist buyers with the shipment of such items into the USA or the GCC. In addition, FedEx and US courier services will no longer carry Iranian-origin goods to any location. Any shipment services would need to be provided by a Fine Art shipping company.

inscriptions

possibly:'al-jud min akhlaq ahl al-janna' Generosity is a disposition of the dwellers of Paradise

The powerfully abstracted designs on Samarqand calligraphic dishes convey a confidence and clarity that is rarely equalled in Islamic pottery. In the words of Arthur Lane: "Their beauty is of the highest intellectual order; they hold the essence of Islam undiluted" (A. Lane, Early Islamic Pottery, London, 1947, p.18).