islamic art-bowl-luster-inv.n.16128-Ilkhanid 13th century-MIA - 01 12 10 008

this luster bowl illustrates the precariousness of the technique which required two firings. the image of the sun face in the center of the bowl is clear but the attributes of the six seated figures in medallions surrounding it are difficult to discern. the composition is one in which one would expect to find images of the six planets in the surrounding medallions: the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. but the seated figures are more reminiscent of rulers and seem to be a modification of the conventional scheme-bowl-luster-inv.n.16128-Ilkhanid 13th century-MIA - 01 12 10 008