A Nishapur imitation lustre bowl, Persia or Central Asia, 10th/11th century

of deep round form with slightly everted rim, the earthenware body decorated with a brown and ochre slip under a transparent glaze with overlapping hexagonal star motifs giving a honeycomb effect to the overall composition

Broken and restored with associated overpainting, some minor abrasion to external edge, as viewed.
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The present bowl, with its bold 'peacock-eye' pattern represents a good example of the 'imitation lustre' type of ceramics made in Nishapur in the tenth century. Rather than using a metal-based glaze (responsible for the shine on lustre ware), the potter craftily decorated this bowl with two shades of brown and ochre consisting of diluted clay on a white slip earthenware body to render a similar effect to lustre, whilst bypassing the expense of a second firing.

For further information on 'imitation lustreware', see: Oliver Watson, Ceramics from Islamic Lands, London, 2004, p.239.