Bowl with inscriptions and courtly scenes in roundels

The shape of this bowl, the fish swimming on the inside (which indicate the bowl was used to hold water), the frieze of running animals just under the rim, the fretwork background, the princely scenes in roundels, and the pointed fringe near the base are all characteristic of the workshops of 14th century Shiraz. Some of these bowls were made for specific rulers, but most (including this one) have Arabic inscriptions glorifying an unnamed sultan and calling him the "inheritor of the kingdom of Solomon." Notes from the Glory and Prosperity exhibition, Feb - June 2002.