second half 12th century
Town probably Rayy,
Iran
Iran
Object qualities
-
Objecttableware: Cup
-
Type of arts & crafts
-
MediumStonepaste; incised decoration through black slip ground under turquoise glaze ("silhouette ware")
-
SizeH. 5 in. (12.7 cm) Diam. 5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm)
-
Geography detailsAttributed to
Town probably Rayy,
Iran -
Country today
-
Datesecond half 12th century
Source of information
-
Type of sourceDatabase “Metropolitan Museum of Art”
-
Fund that the source refers toMetropolitan Museum of Art
Description
-
To create “silhouette ware,” an object of white clay is covered with a special black slip made with the mineral chromite. The slip is carefully removed or incised to create an image. After an initial firing, the vessel is dipped into a transparent turquoise glaze and fired again. In addition to creating a striking color contrast, this overglaze saturates the chromite slip, transforming it from a matte gray brown into an intense black.