A Large Samarkand Calligraphic Dish, Central Asia, 10th Century

of truncated conical form on a short foot, painted in coloured slips on a cream slip ground with a broad band of calligraphy in blackish brown enclosed in red-bordered contour panels against a stippled or dotted ground, the well with four trefoils radiating from the centre enclosed in a black-line roundel

Breaks and repairs, missing section filled with plaster, as viewed
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

inscriptions
al-jud [haris a]l-a'rad wa al-amwal

'Generosity is the guard to honour and wealth'

A saying attributed to Imam 'Ali.

A markedly similar dish excavated at Afrasiyab (Samarkand) is published in Terres secrètes de Samarcande Céramiques du VIIIe au XIIIe siècle, Paris, 1992, no. 142, p.58, illustrated in colour. A further piece also from Samarkand bearing the same central cruciform design made up of four centrifugal trefoils, is reproduced in the same publication, ibid., no.148, p.93.