Ewer (water pitcher), lran, Seljuk period (1037- c. 1193), before 1220. Glazed stonepaste with golden luster-painted decoration, Kashan ware; 33.02 cm. Minneapolis Institute of Art, Bequest of Alfred F. Pillsbury, 50.46.437.

After the Seljuk Turks arrived from central Asia, Iranian ceramic production accelerated dramatically, resulting in a vast array of new shapes, styles, and techniques. Among the most spectacular Seljuk pottery was lusterware, which actually was a revival of the Abbasid luster painting that originated around Baghdad during the ninth century. Luster was used to imitate the dazzle of gold in ceramic decor. Themes based on the princely cycle — enthroned personages, conversing couples, or riders incorporated with ornate background patterns and calligraphy — typically decorated pieces such as this ewer