Sotheby's. Arts of the Islamic World, London, 8 October 2008
A rare Abbasid splash ware plate, Iran or possibly Egypt, circa 8th-9th century
Lot 61. A rare Abbasid splash ware plate, Iran or possibly Egypt, circa 8th-9th century; 37cm. diam. Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 GBP. Lot sold 43,250 GBP. © Sotheby's.
of shallow form with flattened gently everted rim, decorated with splashed lead glazes in dark brown, amber, yellow and green with a central stylised six-petalled rosette enclosed by leaves and scrolls.
Note: This form of splash ware has much in common with Chinese sancai wares of the same period, though the middle eastern wares use manganese rather than cobalt, and the configuration of the splashes bears little relation to the far eastern type. This has lead some to argue that the concurrence may simply be a coincidence: lead glaze technology being a relatively straight-forward development that requires no special or esoteric knowledge (such as is required for firing lustre for instance).
This lot is accompanied by a Thermoluminescence Analysis Report giving a date of last firing consistent with a 9th century date of manufacture.