Bowl with an Arabic Inscription | Yale University Art Gallery

11th century

Not on view

In Islamic traditions, personal supplication (du’a) is an important observation before and after meals, and both feasting and fasting can be significant ritual occasions. Fasting, for example, serves as a reminder of Allah’s blessings and the importance of charity to those who are less fortunate. On this bowl, the Arabic inscription "Glory be to God" is repeated in a continuous ring, creating a beautiful, decorative pattern and expressing personal devotion.

Medium: Earthenware painted on white slip under clear glaze
Dimensions: 3 1/16 × 9 7/16 in. (7.7 × 24 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Fred Olsen
Accession Number: 1954.53.15
Geography: Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Culture: Uzbeki, Islamic
Period: Samanid dynasty (819–999 C.E.) or later
Classification: Containers
Disclaimer: Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Provenance

Bears label "#47" ; Fred H. Olsen (1891–1986), Guilford, Conn.; gift in 1954 to Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Conn.

Bibliography

James Prosek and Edith Devaney, James Prosek: Art, Artifact, Artifice, exh. cat. (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Art Gallery, 2020), 46, 153, p. 29

Object copyright

No Copyright - United States

Additional information

Object/Work type

bowls (vessels)

Inscriptions

In Arabic Subhanallah (God is Perfect) سبحان الله‎‎\r\n\r\nReading “Glory Be to God”

Technical metadata and APIs

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