| The Persians were good potters and well | | | | |
| advanced before the European even knew about | | | | Excavations carried out at the end of the |
| pottery. Chinese wares were exported to these | | | | nineteenth century first revealed the beauty |
| Persia and Near East countries. Discoveries | | | | of these Islamic wares, which had then been |
| through many excavations have revealed the | | | | long forgotten. Ironically, beautiful as so |
| beautiful Islamic wares, which were | | | | many of them are, most have been restored |
| forgotten. | | | | from fragments found discarded in |
| | | | rubbish-pits in Persia and Egypt. Good |
| IN Persia and other Near East countries | | | | examples are, understandably, rare, and poor |
| pottery had been made for many centuries, and | | | | ones skillfully made up from two or more |
| while the majority of Europe was in a state | | | | articles with a generous helping of plaster |
| of barbarism, attractive wares were being | | | | and paint are to be guarded against. |
| made with brilliantly colored glazes and with | | | | |
| designs incised or painted. The Persians | | | | Most of the wares made in Persian and nearby |
| rediscovered the art of tin glazing; a | | | | pottery centers from the fourteenth century |
| technique used by the Assyrians, and was | | | | onwards are versions of earlier types and |
| masters in the use of colored lusters by the | | | | show less originality. Imitations of Ming |
| end of the twelfth century. Both of these | | | | blue-and-white, with thick glaze and a very |
| processes reached Europe later by way of the | | | | runny blue, are sometimes mistaken for |
| Moors in Spain. | | | | Chinese. |
| | | | |
| Many types of Chinese wares were exported to | | | | To the northwest of Persia, in Turkey, a |
| the Near East countries, and there was a | | | | distinctive pottery was made. It has a sandy |
| constant interchange of ideas; the Chinese | | | | body coated with white slip, decorated with |
| learned of painting in under glaze blue from | | | | painting of formal floral or leaf patterns |
| the Persian potters at Kashan, and the | | | | outlined in black and colored in a |
| Persians made imitations of their favorite | | | | distinctive thick red, bright green and blue. |
| Chinese celadon glazes. Following the | | | | It dates from about the sixteenth century. |
| important Persian Exhibition held in London | | | | This ware was once thought to be of Persian |
| in 1931, scholars have turned their attention | | | | origin, later said to have come from the |
| to the earlier wares, and attempts are being | | | | Island of Rhodes and known as 'Rhodian' ware, |
| made to trace a sequence of styles and to | | | | but is now accepted as having been made |
| discover exactly where the various types were | | | | principally at Isnik, a town to the south of |
| made. | | | | Istanbul. |