Islam was a defining force in the daily lives of
the people of the region, and likewise had an
effect on the arts as well. Islamic artists were
prohibited from the depiction of figures of
people or animals in art. Instead, the art of
Islam abounds with floral motifs, inscriptions,
intricate geometry and arabesques.
Small bowl of rounded form decorated in
purple black on a dark cream ground to which
a fine design was applied in the form of
inscriptions. Wares from Nishapur used a
white slip on a terracotta body to give a lighter
surface for painting. Designs were then
painted in slips of black, aubergine or brown
from oxide bearing clays. This type of pottery
often features large, undecorated areas of
negative space, such as this example.
The potters of the region had learnt that
patterns painted using glaze were apt to run,
and got around the problem by mixing their
pigments into the clay slips used for
decorating. A clear glaze covers the entire
surface of decoration to avoid the colour slips
to run.
