Bowl with three fish, first half of 14th century
Iran
Fritware, monochrome glazed
Technical Glossary
Iran
Fritware, monochrome glazed
H. 5 in. (12.7 cm), Diam. 10 1/8 in. (25.7 cm)
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Gift of Mrs. Horace Havemeyer, in memory of her husband, Horace Havemeyer, 1959 (59.60)
Celadon ware produced in the celebrated center of Longquan, such as the tall slender vase illustrated here, was as widely exported as blue-and-white porcelain. It caught the imagination of Iranian potters who strove to create a glaze that imitated its characteristic gray-green color. The Ilkhanid-period bowl with three curved fish swimming in the center (a popular motif on Chinese vessels) is one of the best extant examples of the "technological" challenge the Iranian craftsmen took upon themselves.
