A small blue and white bowl, Iran, probably Kirman, 17th Century. Photo Florence Number Nine

A delightful small bowl with rounded sides and slight waisting at the upper area. With a double blue line that outlines the decorative areas both on the interior and exterior. The interior bottom of the bowl is embellished by a circular reserve that contains a cobweb motifs, whilst the exterior is enlivened three times by a sort of abstract bird in flights amongst trees that are also rather schematically depicted. Rectangular mark on the base. Fritware with blue and black decoration under transparent glaze. Diametro x Altezza 13,5 x 6,5 cm. Estimate: €350 - €450

Ceramics of this type were clearly based on Chinese models as the use of blue and white, the fine decoration and the mark on the base confirm. Both European and Persian historical sources state that the Iranian centre of Kirman was the main supplier of blue and white ceramics in the second half of the 17th century, after the closure of trade in porcelain objects in Jingdezhen due to the tumult that followed the fall of the Ming Dynasty.

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