Flat-Rimmed Bowl with Radial Design

40 Flat-rimmed bowl with radial design Iran, Ilkhanid period, 14th century [1] Fritware painted with blue (cobalt), turquoise (copper), and black (chromium) under clear alkali glaze 11 × 22.3 cm (4 5/16 × 8 3/4 in.) 2002.50.78 Radial lines divide the interior of this bowl into twelve sections, which are decorated with three different designs—foliate motifs, cursive forms, and series of dots and fine lines. A narrow band encircles the bowl just under the flat, patterned rim. Circling the upper exterior is a cobalt-blue pseudo-inscription; below this is another band containing black scrollwork roundels. The foliate and line-and-dot motifs of this bowl, as well as the use and placement of cobalt, recall the lusterwares of the Seljuk-Atabeg period. Those prestigious vessels likely provided design inspiration for less expensive underglaze-painted wares like this one, which typifies Ilkhanid bowls in shape and decoration.[2] Although the glaze has suffered abrasion and is cracked in several places, the bowl itself is intact. Ayşin Yoltar-Yıldırım [1] The bowl was last fired between 400 and 700 years ago, according to the results of thermoluminescence analysis carried out by Oxford Authentication Ltd. in 2012. [2] See Watson 1985, fig. H; Watson 2004, 378–86.