Cabinet I: Shelf 1

Art of Islam

The millennium between the seventh and the seventeenth centuries marked the zenith of Islamic art and saw the creation of distinctive visual cultural forms as Islam was embraced by peoples of diverse ethno-linguistic backgrounds, ranging from Morocco and Spain on the Atlantic coast to Indonesia in Southeast Asia and from sub-Saharan Africa to Siberia.

In particular, during the rise of the Abbasid caliphate (749–1258) in a climate of political stability and prosperity, Islamic ceramics blossomed. Drawing on the influence of imported Chinese wares as well as local developments in metalware, craftsmen developed a wide range of techniques for making ceramics for both domestic use and architectural decoration. Many of the plates and vessels in the Museum’s collection are of a type called fritware. Invented in the twelfth century, fritware was an Islamic response to Chinese porcelain: by combining ground quartz with small amounts of white glaze, Middle Eastern potters were able to produce a thin-bodied, hard and durable white ware. Fritware provided an ideal surface for various painting techniques, including lustreware, underglaze painting, and overglaze enamels, all on display here (please see individual object descriptions). Also exhibited in this case is a selection of metalware. In the twelfth century, a new style of metalware emerged, where the surfaces of cast bronze objects were densely decorated in copper, gold, and silver inlays. Stunning examples of this can be seen in the two large candlesticks decorated with inscriptions and geometric patterns.

This polychrome and glazed square tile is decorated with a symmetrical design of flowers and leaf arabesques in deep aubergine and yellow. It is covered in a lustrous glaze with black underglaze. The tile matches the style and decorative features of other 16th century Turkish tiles. 
Turkish
Tile
glaze on earthenware
9 7/8 in x 9 7/8 in x 1 3/16 in (25.08 cm x 25.08 cm x 3 cm)
Transfer from the College of Architecture and Design
Iranian
Plate
earthenware with glaze
1 13/16 in. x 8 1/16 in. x 8 1/16 in. ( 4.6 cm x 20.5 cm x 20.5 cm )
Museum Purchase
Baked clay plate with vegetal motif. Paste is a gray-white porcelain, glaze is glossy with a few cracks. The plate was fired upright and contains cobalt on light gray-white colors. The plate is attributed to Kerman of the Safavid period. The swirling treatment of the vegetal forms reflect the Persian adaptation of Chinese wares that occured in this area. Also attributed to Kerman is the dark blue color used to define the painted areas without the hardegded precision of other production centers.
Iranian
Plate with vegetal design
earthenware with blue underglaze painting
1 7/16 in. x 5 13/16 in. x 5 13/16 in. ( 3.6 cm x 14.7 cm x 14.7 cm )
Museum Purchase
A platter with landscape scene decorations.
Iranian
Platter with Lion in Garden
fritware (ground quartz and white clay) with blue underglaze painting
1 1/4 in x 11 5/16 in x 11 1/4 in (3.18 cm x 28.73 cm x 28.58 cm)
Museum Purchase
Iranian
Vase
fritware (ground quartz & white clay) with blue underglaze and lustre overglaze
3 3/4 in. x 3 1/8 in. x 3 1/8 in. ( 9.53 cm x 8 cm x 8 cm )
Transfer from the College of Architecture and Design
Iranian
Broad-shouldered vase with narrow, flaring foot and high collar mouth
fritware (ground quartz and white clay) with blue underglaze painting
4 1/4 in. x 3 3/8 in. x 3 3/8 in. ( 10.8 cm x 8.5 cm x 8.5 cm )
Transfer from the College of Architecture and Design
This large Iranian plate sits on a small base. The decoration consists of a bird and crude space fillers. The units are outlined in green and incised, in addition to green glazed parts that are not incised. The design is cut through the slip and appears light brown while the exterior is left unglazed and plain red-brown.The plate is mended and appears to have commercial mosaic in parts. The colors are green, light green, yellow, and red-brown. Painted green and brown spots and stripes are combined with scribbled engraving to form often asymmetrical designs.
Iranian
Shallow bowl with schematized animal motif
earthenware coated with white slip and painted designs in green and brown
3 3/8 in. x 14 1/2 in. x 14 1/2 in. ( 8.6 cm x 36.83 cm x 36.83 cm )
Museum Purchase
This sapphire blue dish from the 16th-17th centuries in Iran is decorated with vegetal motifs. The composite luster body has an interior of blue glaze with luster decoration. The exterior is glazed in transparent ivory with copper luster decoration.  
Iranian
Shallow bowl with vegetal designs
composite body with luster and blue glaze
2 1/4 in. x 8 9/16 in. x 8 9/16 in. ( 5.72 cm x 21.75 cm x 21.75 cm )
Transfer from the College of Architecture and Design
This ceramic plate contains negative white designs of a cross at center surrounded by a band of floral motifs at the rim. The plate is a gray-white porcelain whit glossy glaze and wide crackle. The colors used are primarily gray and white. The object was fired upright and is slightly restored. It probably dates to the Shah Abbas Safavid period. 
Iranian
Shallow plate with floral rim design on broad rim
earthenware with glaze
1 3/16 in. x 5 11/16 in. x 5 11/16 in. ( 3 cm x 14.5 cm x 14.5 cm )
Museum Purchase

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Part of 1 Learning Collection

Cabinet A: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet A: Shelf 2
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet A: Shelf 3
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet B: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet B: Shelf 2
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet B: Shelf 3
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet C: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet C: Shelf 2
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet C: Shelf 3
<p>Inkwells </p>

Cabinet D: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the Bohlen Wood Art Collection ...

Cabinet D: Shelf 2
<p>Inkwells </p>

Cabinet D: Shelf 3
<p>Inkwells </p>

Cabinet E: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the James Marshall Plumer Collec...

Cabinet E: Shelf 2
<p>Selections from the James Marshall Plumer Collec...

Cabinet E: Shelf 3
<p>Selections from the James Marshall Plumer Collec...

Cabinet F: Shelf 1
<p>Mortuary Art from China </p>

Cabinet F: Shelf 2
<p>Mortuary Art from China</p>

Cabinet F: Shelf 3
<p>Mortuary Art from China</p>

Cabinet G: Shelf 1
<p>Mortuary Art from China</p>

Cabinet G: Shelf 2
<p>Mortuary Art from China</p>

Cabinet G: Shelf 3 
<p>Mortuary Art from China</p>

Cabinet H: Shelf 1
<p>Mortuary Art from China</p>

Cabinet H: Shelf 2
<p>Mortuary Art from China </p>

Cabinet H: Shelf 3
<p>Mortuary Art from China</p>

Cabinet I: Shelf 1
<p>Art of Islam</p>

Cabinet I: Shelf 2
<p>Art of Islam</p>

Cabinet I: Shelf 3
<p>Art of Islam</p>

Cabinet J: Shelf 1
<p>Art of Islam</p>

Cabinet J: Shelf 2
<p>Art of Islam</p>

Cabinet J: Shelf 3
<p>Art of Islam</p>

Cabinet K: Shelf 1
<p>Religious Sculpture from India</p>

Cabinet K: Shelf 2
<p>Religious Sculpture from India</p>

Cabinet K: Shelf 3
<p>Art of Islam</p>

Cabinet L: Shelf 1
<p>Blue-and-White Porcelain and Stoneware</p>

Cabinet L: Shelf 2
<p>Blue-and-White Porcelain and Stoneware</p>

Cabinet L: Shelf 3
<p>Blue-and-White Porcelain and Stoneware</p>

Cabinet M: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the Dora and William Hunter Coll...

Cabinet M: Shelf 2
<p>Selections from the Dora and William Hunter Coll...

Cabinet M: Shelf 3
<p>Blue-and-White Porcelain and Stoneware</p>

Cabinet N: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the Margaret Watson Parker Colle...

Cabinet N: Shelf 2
<p>Selections from the Margaret Watson Parker Colle...

Cabinet N: Shelf 3
<p>Celadon Wares in Asia</p>

Cabinet O: Shelf 1
<p>Celadon Wares in Asia</p>

Cabinet O: Shelf 2
<p>Celadon Wares in Asia</p>

Cabinet O: Shelf 3
<p>Celadon Wares in Asia</p>

Cabinet P: Shelf 1
<p>Celadon Wares in Asia</p>

Cabinet P: Shelf 2
<p>Celadon Wares in Asia</p>

Cabinet P: Shelf 3
<p>Celadon Wares in Asia</p>

Cabinet Q: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the Ellen and Richard Laing Coll...

Cabinet Q: Shelf 2
<p>Selections from the Ellen and Richard Laing Coll...

Cabinet Q: Shelf 3
<p>Selections from the Ellen and Richard Laing Coll...

Cabinet Q: Shelf 4
<p>American Plaster Casts</p>

Cabinet R: Shelf 1
<p>American Plaster Casts</p>

Cabinet R: Shelf 2
<p>Apostle Spoons and American Silver</p>

Cabinet R: Shelf 3
<p>Modernist Glass and American Art Pottery</p>

Cabinet R: Shelf 4
<p>American Plaster Casts</p>

Cabinet S: Shelf 1
<p>American Silver</p>

Cabinet S: Shelf 2
<p>Tiffany Glass</p>

Cabinet S: Shelf 3
<p>American Silver</p>

Cabinet T: Shelf 1
<p>American Art Pottery</p>

Cabinet T: Shelf 2
<p>American Art Pottery</p>

Cabinet T: Shelf 3
<p>Native American Art</p>

Cabinet U: Shelf 1
<p>American Art Pottery</p>

Cabinet U: Shelf 2
<p>American Art Pottery</p>

Cabinet U: Shelf 3
<p>Native American Art</p>

Cabinet V: Shelf 1
<p>The Human Figure in African Art</p>

Cabinet V: Shelf 2
<p>African Miniature Masks</p>

Cabinet V: Shelf 3
<p>African Masks and Masquerades</p>

Cabinet W: Shelf 1
<p>The Head in African Art</p>

Cabinet W: Shelf 2
<p>Selections from the Helmut Stern Collection</p>

Cabinet W: Shelf 3
<p>Selections from the Helmut Stern Collection</p>

Cabinet W: Shelf 4
<p>African Masks and Masquerades</p>

Cabinet X: Shelf 1
<p>Modern Sculpture</p>

Cabinet X: Shelf 2
<p>Modern Sculpture</p>

Cabinet X: Shelf 3
<p>Modern Sculpture</p>

Cabinet X: Shelf 4
<p>Modern Sculpture</p>

Cabinet Y: Shelf 1
<p>Selections from the Fusfeld Art Collection</p>

Cabinet Y: Shelf 2
<p>Contemporary Art</p>

Cabinet Y: Shelf 3
<p>Contemporary Art</p>

Cabinet Y: Shelf 4
<p>Contemporary Art</p>

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June 8, 2020 7:54 a.m.

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