Bowl with Calligraphic design

One of the great innovations of Samanid dynasty (819-1005 CE) potters was the use of various slip (diluted clay) pigments on a single vessel, seen in the brown, red, and cream-white hues above. While lacking glass, lead or metallic based glazes and the luster-effect they produced, Samanid potters were especially adept in layering these earth tones in precise and well-balanced patterns. The decorative vocabulary included interlocking geometric and scrolling vegetal motifs, as well as the use of angular script known as Kufic, often abstracted for a pleasing aesthetic effect.