Bowl Inscribed with a Saying of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib

10 Bowl inscribed with a saying of ʿAli ibn Abi Talib Iran, Nishapur, Samanid period, 10th century Reddish earthenware covered in white slip and painted with black (manganese and iron) under clear lead glaze 6.1 × 21.5 cm (2 3/8 × 8 7/16 in.) 2002.50.83 Written around the rim of this bowl in a “new style” Kufic, with ascenders deflected abruptly to the left, is an epigram in Arabic attributed to ʿAli ibn Abi Talib, the son-in- law of the Prophet Muhammad, praising knowledge and manly virtue: “Knowledge is the noblest of personal qualities, and love is the highest of pedigrees” (al-ʿilm ashraf al-aḥsāb wʾal-mawadda ashbak al-ansāb).[1] A pear-shaped ornament rising out of the last letter of the last word (al-ansāb) marks the end of the inscription. Written across the center is a single Arabic word, aḥmad, which appears frequently on Samanid epigraphic bowls. In this context it is usually construed not as the signature of a potter but as a blessing: “most praiseworthy.” Proverbs praising knowledge and exhorting the owner to various forms of virtuous conduct appear frequently on these elegantly inscribed epigraphic wares, suggesting that they were appreciated by a class of users who placed high value on learning and ethical behavior. On the interior and exterior of this well-potted bowl, the entire pinkish-buff ceramic body, including the beveled, slightly concave base, has been covered in white slip and clear glaze. The vessel is fragmentary; the last word of the inscription has been partially reconstructed on a plaster fill. Mary McWilliams [1] Other Samanid epigraphic wares with the same saying are listed in Ghouchani 1986, 9.