A rare Ayyubid blue and white dish, Tell Minis or Raqqa, Syria, 12th century

with rounded thin-walled body and flat everted rim, on a short foot, the interior painted under the glaze in cobalt blue with a swallow in flight with arabesques attachments, the rim with repeated dots and tear-form motifs

In fair overall conditin, broken and reconstructed from fragments, some infill and over-painting, surface irridescence, 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."

Although the rounded shape with flattened rim is typical of Raqqa production (see Watson 2004, p.295, Cat.K.6), it is the unusual fineness of the material and the precise potting - as well as the diagnostic low footring cut inwards - that mark this out as belonging to the Tell Minis group, the first stonepaste or fritware production in Syria after the introduction of the technology from Egypt (ibid., p.290).

The attribution of fine Syrian fritware to Tell Minis, a small village near Ma'arrat al-Nu'man south of Aleppo, dates back to the 1950s when a hoard of this type was discovered nearby; however, Cristina Tonghini has shown that these and related wares were made at a number of centres across Syria in the twelfth century (Grube 1994, p.249ff.). The motif of the swallow in flight is found on Ayyubid-period sherd material from Fustat, painted in underglaze black, and variously ascribed to Syria and/or Egypt (see Watson 2004, p.296, Cat.K.8).