Bowl with Arabic inscription

Calligraphy, or beautiful writing, has transformed this bowl into something quite exceptional. A dynamic rhythm of positive and negative space results from the artistically elongated letters of the Arabic-language inscription: “Take the middle road in [your] affairs; indeed, it is a salvation. Don’t ride a too-gentle mount or a too-obstinate one.” With a spare, black-and-white aesthetic, this bowl exemplifies that such “epigraphic slipware” from the Samanid period (819–1005) are some of the most visually powerful ceramics produced in the Islamic world. Yet they are made from the simplest of materials: earthenware covered and decorated with a watery clay mixture called “slip.”

This bowl’s large size and deep, conical shape suggests that it was used for serving food. One can only imagine the delight with which diners experienced the bowl’s words—which advise moderation in life—as they were slowly revealed as the food was consumed.