  About the Artwork
  
  
  The Arabic inscription inside this bowl reads, “Made by Salih” — a rare instance of a premodern potter’s signature. While most makers of ceramic objects remain anonymous, several artists’ names are known from Basra, Iraq, where Salih was based, suggesting they took pride in their work. 
In the 800s–900s, Basra potters innovated new styles of dishware. Inspired in part by plain white bowls imported from China, they developed an opaque glaze to create a smooth, creamy surface over the rough earthenware made with locally available clay. Adding cobalt-painted designs like the ones on this bowl, they produced some of the world’s first blue-and-white ceramics.
  
  
  Title
  Bowl
  
  
  Artwork Date
  800s
  
  Artist
  Iraqi
  
  
  
  Life Dates
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  Nationality
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events.
  Some definitions include:
  Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation.
  
  
  
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  Culture
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group.
  
  
  
  
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  Medium
  Tin-glazed earthenware with cobalt
  
  
  Dimensions
  Overall (h x diam): 2 3/4 × 8 inches (7 × 20.3 cm)
  
  
  Classification
  Ceramics
  
  
  Department
  Islamic Art
  
  
  Credit
  Founders Society Purchase, General Membership Fund
  
  
  
  Accession Number
  
  
  
  This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection.
  Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings.
  For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups.
  
  
  
  54.498
  
  
  Copyright
  Public Domain
