Bowl Fragment with Arabic Inscription

This ceramic bowl fragment was decorated using sgraffito, a technique in which an artist applied a colored slip or glaze to pottery, then incised it to reveal the contrasting color of the clay underneath. On the inside of this bowl, inscribed in brick-red exposed pottery, the wide band of Arabic calligraphy appears to read nās ‘ala al-majlis, or “people on the council.” This probably refers to the person who commissioned it, likely a member of the Mamluk military government. The exterior inscription, also incised on exposed pottery, is probably an Islamic blessing. In the background, the artist depicted vine scrolls glazed in black, playing with shapes reminiscent of Arabic writing.