A group of ceramics produced in fourteenth-century Iran has traditionally been associated with the city of Sultanabad, where many examples were found. These so-called Sultanabad wares, however, comprise many differing types – and thus far no kilns have been found at the site. Nearly hemispherical in form, this thin-walled stonepaste Sultanabad bowl stands on a low foot and is decorated with a cobalt blue bird in flight. A multi-tiered border frames the bird, and the bowl’s exterior is decorated with abstracted lotus petals in a design borrowed from Chinese ceramics.