A Rare Abbasid Lustre Bowl with geometric and stylised vegetal decoration, Iraq, 9th century

the earthenware body of shallow flaring form standing on a short foot, painted in polychrome lustre over an opacified tin glaze, decorated in a combination of geometric and stylised vegetal forms, the central roundel divided into quarters with small leaves contained within a trellis pattern grid, the cavetto and rim painted with a frieze of eight radial lancet-shaped leaves enclosing two smaller five-lobed leaves, the spaces between the lancet leaves filled with shaped panels of chequer-pattern with dotted centres

Iraq and China: Ceramics, Trade, and Innovation, Sackler Gallery, Washington, D.C., December 4, 2004 - July 17, 2005.
Perpetual Glory, Medieval Islamic Ceramics From The Harvey B. Plotnick Collection, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2007.

O. Pancaroglu, Perpetual Glory, Medieval Islamic Ceramics From The Harvey B. Plotnick Collection, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2007, pp.44-45, no.4.

In overall good condition, broken but near complete, restored from fragments with associated overpainting and touching up, 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."

This magnificent bowl represents one of the earliest attempts at lustre painting on ceramic, a radical new technique that involved the application of metallic pigments to the surface of a pre-fired glaze to give the appearance of glittering gold. The first attempts at lustre-firing had been undertaken by glassmakers in Egypt who seem to have passed on the technical know-how to potters in Iraq in the ninth century. Whether prompted by orthodox disapproval of precious gold and silver, or simply acting upon artistic experimentation, this brilliant innovation was to have long-lasting repurcussions for the future of Islamic pottery. The earliest polychrome lustres are by far the rarest and the most sought-after by collectors.