bowl, unknown maker from Persia (present-day Iran)

Resting on a low pedestal, this shallow bowl exemplifies the artistic fluorescence that occurred in 13th- and 14th-century Iran. Under Mongol rule, artisans combined techniques and materials from Eastern Asia with traditional Persian aesthetics. The vibrant colors and intricate geometrics on this bowl mask its less-than-perfect condition: like many pieces of ancient art that found their way into private and museum collections, this vessel has been restored from a fragmented to whole state.