Lot Essay
This bowl exhibits a number of features, all of which are clearly 15th century, but of types and combinations which are not parallelled in any other published piece. The decoration on the exterior is similar to that of a group of underglaze black painted vessels attributed to Kubachi such as two from the Sackler collection sold in these Rooms, 18 October 1994, lots 324 and 325, and one in the David Collection (Folsach, K.v.: Islamic Art, the David Collection, Copenhagen, 1990, no.164, p.118). The interior star panel is however filled with finely drawn leafy motifs far more akin to that found in manuscript illumination or in the silver inlaid decoration of brass jugs than would normally be expected. This is combined with an overglaze white enamel used to delineate loosely drawn flowers around the sides, imitating the effect of Chinese porcelain which are lightly incised under monochrome glazes. This combination of features indicates a potter fully versed with the various arts of the period and with an individual flair, further demonstrated by the delicacy of the potting of this vessel which is far finer than is normally the case in the fifteenth century.