Dish with Floral and Animal Decoration

Blue-and-white ceramics became popular in the Islamic world as early as the 9th century. In later centuries, the stylistic exchange between Iran and China, as well as the high demand for Chinese porcelain in the Islamic world, led to the production of large quantities of blue-and-white wares in both Iran and China. This example from Safavid Iran shows the influence of Chinese art in the six lion-like creatures along the rim, as well as in the cloud forms behind them.