Porcelain
There are two types of porcelain
1- Ceramic with raised decoration, painted in one color.
2- Ceramics painted under or over paint.
1- Ceramic with raised decoration, painted in one color
Workmanship
The vessel is formed on the wheel, handle, or mold , the motif was embossed before it was completely dry.
After drying, the containers are covered with a slip layer and dried then it burns an initial burn ,then it is painted with a layer of glaze.
Then the vessels are then placed in a hot oven so that the coating layer interacts with the body of the vessels by the effect of heat, and the color of the paint becomes light.
This type of ceramics is distinguished by being of one color green, blue, golden, or red. This porcelain was identified in Iran, Iraq, and Egypt, and it remained in use until the century (3 AH / 9 AD), and each country was characterized by special features.
A- The ceramics on top of animal motifs and bird drawings from Egypt.
B- Ceramics that include inscriptions, Kufic, and vegetal motifs, intertwining arches and ribbons, and other decorative subjects influenced by Sasanian art from Iraq and Iran.
Examples:
- A cup with green paint and the rim of the cup in the form of its vein, and the body is decorated with prominent lobes filled with lozenges that contain inside them a vegetable leaf that the potter (the maker) signed on the base of the cup in the name of (Hussain), and this cup is attributed to Iraq and Iran (2 AH / 2 century) 8 m)
A plate of porcelain with luster golden coating, which includes geometric motifs and modified plant motifs, attributed to Egypt and Iraq, and this type of ceramics imitations for each of gold vessels and Byzantine ceramics with prominent decoration, and the first attempts of the Muslim potter to create ceramics with metallic luster in one color.
- Half a rare dish that is not deep, inside it is decorated with three goats, each of them carrying a plant branch in its beak, and the inner frame of the plate is decorated with a prominent chain and consists of small circles, while the edge of the plate is decorated with plant elements modified from nature and contains several varnishes, including red, green and purple times Early Islamic.
2- Ceramics painted under or overpaint
Made in many ceramics industry centers during the Abbasid era ,this ceramic is characterized by its very low base, which facilitates the process of placing the pots inside each other when transporting them for trade from one region to another , It dates back to the century (2-3 AH / 8-9 CE).
How to make painted porcelain under the paint
Make up the vessels on the wheel as required, then it is left to dry after that, it is painted with a layer of lining (Slip), usually white or buttery, and it is dried, burned, and the decorations painted, then dry.
It is placed in the oven so that the paint layer interacts with the body of the vessel and its surface becomes glazed.
It is noticed that the decorations of this type of ceramics are elaborate, with defined ends (ends) and their colors consist of green or blue.
How to make ceramics painted over the paint-
Make up the vessels on the wheel as required, then it is left to dry.
And then it is painted with a layer of lining (Slip), usually white, or buttery color then it is left to dry burn preliminary burn , a layer of (Glaze) paint is poured over it and left to dry, then the required decorations are painted on it.
Then it is left to dry and placed in the oven to fix the paint layer and decorations with the body of the pots and its surface becomes glazed.
- It is noticed that the decorations of this type of ceramics are not elaborate, and not limited to the edges (the ends, and their faded colors, due to their presence on a layer of paint and is similar to what the scientist said, "a soft effect" like ink on snow).
Painted porcelain decorations under the paint: -
• Modified botanical decorations
These are plant leaves, palm graphics, palm fans, and palmate semi-fans. Examples include:
A plate preserved in the Museum of the Faculty of Archeology - Cairo University, attributed to 'Iraq A and Iran'. Its decoration contains three vegetal leaves, including a circle (a dot), painted in blue on a yellow background.
A ceramic dish painted under the lacquer preserved in the Tehran Museum. Its decoration consists of three palm trees drawn from nature in blue on a buttery background. The edge of the plate is surrounded by palmette half fans, separated by small blurred points (circles).
A ceramic dish whose decoration is painted under and above blue paint on a buttery floor. The texture of its decoration is a drawing of a modified tree, from the top of which the pomegranate fruit is executed under the paint. On the edge of the plate, there are four spots (splashes) that were executed above the paint and were at the origin of four dots blurred.
A ceramic plate preserved in the Islamic Antiquities House in Kuwait. The decoration was executed in blue and green, in two ways: - Under the paint and represented in a beautiful geometric drawing that fills the space, including the shape of an altered rose, with six lobes (petals).
And on top of the paint, they are represented by six spots (like ink on snow), which are arranged neatly at the edge of the plate and also inside the flower.
Geometric motifs:
It includes circles, overlapping triangles, star shapes, and squares, examples of which are:
A ceramic dish preserved in the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo. Its decoration, executed in green and blue, is a beautiful geometric drawing that fills the space. It has a semi-circular shape and has six lobes that contain two intersecting triangles (the star has six vertices), and in the center of it is a flower stylized from nature.
Written decorations:
Some of and above the paint were confined to inscription decoration, the strength of which is a word, or a sentence in simple Kufic script, or foliate, and this writing is either:
Read
Include promotional phrases such as (blessing to the owner), or the signature of the manufacturer and usually precedes the signature of the word (work), or both. We have received a number of signatures of the makers of this type of Abbasid ceramics, such as the work of Muhammad al-Chinese, the work of Abu al-Aun. Decorative plates were also found in Samarra with signatures: the work of Abu Khaled, the work of Katheer bin Abdullah.
unread
Its purpose is purely decorative.
A ceramic dish painted under the paint is preserved in the Ethnology Museum in Munich. Its decoration, executed in blue, includes four vegetal leaves stylized from nature, with three lines in the center of the unpolished Kufic writing, the text of which reads (Barakah / a thief / her love is the work of / Muhammad al-Sini).
The four leaves in this plate, executed in color, resemble the complete decoration of the plate preserved in the Museum of the Faculty of Archeology - Cairo University, which makes it possible that their maker is one.
- A ceramic dish painted under blue paint on a buttery background. Its decoration is limited to a line of unspotted Kufic writing, which includes the manufacturer's signature in the form (He did not make peace).
- A ceramic dish painted under the paint, the decoration of which is limited to a line of unspotted Kufic writing, including a signature in the form (the work of Abu al-Yaman, or the work of Abu al-Baqa).
- Another dish is written on the floor with a single line that includes the signature of the maker (Saleh's work) in a very small, unpotted Kufic script, and the edge of the plate is surrounded by semicircles (festoons), followed by a geometric decoration that resembles a pin, and at the confluence of each of the two halves, a point (circle) is blurred.
We notice that the decoration of this dish is more sophisticated, so this dish is attributed to the 3-4th century AH / 9-10AD century
2- Unread writing motifs: -
A large ceramic plate, with a short base and a drooping rim, is decorated with an illegible word in blue on a buttery background.
- A ceramic plate painted under blue paint on a buttery background. Its decoration in the center of the plate is a line of the Kufic inscription that is lush and unpotted and is also illegible. Its purpose is purely decorative and the edge of the plate is surrounded by a vegetal branch emanating from both sides of the modified vegetable leaves.
A ceramic dish, decorated with blue and green colors, in two ways under the lacquer, and represented in the form of a square in the center of the plate, consisting of a rib of unreadable Kufic inscriptions, i.e. as its pure point. And above the paint, it is represented in four spots (similar to what is on snow) arranged in an orderly way at the edge of the plate.