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Lot Essay
The signature reads amal-e Khalid (The work of Khalid).
The drawing on this remarkable bowl is in strong contrast to the quirky drawing seen on most examples of Abbasid lustre pottery, such as that seen in lot 47. There is no doubt that the hawk in the centre here is proudly aggressive, both from the stance and the trapped rabbit in its talons. The signature, too, unlike those on many bowls, is clearly written, aligned with the horizontal and left in its own space.
There is an earlier precedent of a wreath painted around an unrelated central subject, on a polychrome lustre bowl in the al-Sabah Collection (Oliver Watson, Ceramics from Islamic Lands, London, 2004, no.E.6, p.188). That bowl depicts a central ewer within the wreath, but the painting is much more typical of the period, with less precision of line. The wreath is a motif that was not used so much in the 10th century, as the figural monochrome lustre designs became more popular. It is just possible that a comparable bowl to the al-Sabah example provided the influence, but if so the motif has been completely re-interpreted.
We have already commented on the strength of line shown by Khalid in this bowl. Another feature that he uses is one that hardly if ever appears in Abbasid lustre pottery, but one that became a very effective extra effect in both Fatimid and later Persian pottery. He has added detail to the design by incising lines through the lustre after he had painted it on, notably the feather motifs on the body and tail. The drawing of the bird has more in common with Fatimid pottery of the eleventh century, but the shape of the bowl's outline, and particularly the fine grained yellow-white body, are completely typical of other bowls from Samarra. In this bowl Khalid created an image that has echoes in some of the most impressive lustre pottery ever made.
A Thermoluminescence test performed by Oxford Authentication on this bowl, sample no.N104h6, is consistent with the proposed dating.
The drawing on this remarkable bowl is in strong contrast to the quirky drawing seen on most examples of Abbasid lustre pottery, such as that seen in lot 47. There is no doubt that the hawk in the centre here is proudly aggressive, both from the stance and the trapped rabbit in its talons. The signature, too, unlike those on many bowls, is clearly written, aligned with the horizontal and left in its own space.
There is an earlier precedent of a wreath painted around an unrelated central subject, on a polychrome lustre bowl in the al-Sabah Collection (Oliver Watson, Ceramics from Islamic Lands, London, 2004, no.E.6, p.188). That bowl depicts a central ewer within the wreath, but the painting is much more typical of the period, with less precision of line. The wreath is a motif that was not used so much in the 10th century, as the figural monochrome lustre designs became more popular. It is just possible that a comparable bowl to the al-Sabah example provided the influence, but if so the motif has been completely re-interpreted.
We have already commented on the strength of line shown by Khalid in this bowl. Another feature that he uses is one that hardly if ever appears in Abbasid lustre pottery, but one that became a very effective extra effect in both Fatimid and later Persian pottery. He has added detail to the design by incising lines through the lustre after he had painted it on, notably the feather motifs on the body and tail. The drawing of the bird has more in common with Fatimid pottery of the eleventh century, but the shape of the bowl's outline, and particularly the fine grained yellow-white body, are completely typical of other bowls from Samarra. In this bowl Khalid created an image that has echoes in some of the most impressive lustre pottery ever made.
A Thermoluminescence test performed by Oxford Authentication on this bowl, sample no.N104h6, is consistent with the proposed dating.