Dish with a Prophetic Hadith

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

The color palette and naturalistic designs of this dish are a testament to the enduring influence of Chinese porcelain on ceramics of the Islamic world. This dish features floral decorations in a naturalistic Chinese style and the traditional blue-and-white color scheme. The central calligraphic motif of the dish, offering pious sayings, is written in Arabic script, but its shape recalls Chinese characters. Chinese influence on Islamic ceramics can be seen as early as the 9th century, and it continued well into the 19th century, as evidenced by this dish. On the exterior of the dish, the artist, Ibn Hajj ‘Imad Ali, signed his name and provided a date, 1822/1823 (converted from the given date of the Islamic calendar, 1238).

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