Ewer

While this small earthenware ewer excavated from Nishapur is less colorful than the famous glazed ceramics found at the same site, it is no less vibrant in terms of its decorative program. Most of the preserved surface is covered with registers containing repeat patterns, each one different from the others. In the central register, birds and seated men alternate with large tear-drop shapes, all on a stippled ground. These patterns were made by hemispherical molds in which the body of this vessel was cast. The use of molds not only enabled Nishapur’s potters to easily make intricate surface decorations, but the technique also produced motifs that stood out in relief, creating a surface texture similar to cast or hammered metalwork.