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Image © National Museums Scotland
View full screenDish, earthenware, blue and white ware, painted in dark blue and brown under a translucent glaze with peonies and three lions: Asia, West Asia, Iran, Safavid period, c. 1690-1720
A.1921.1252
Iran, West Asia
1690 - 1720
Iranian
Safavid
Round earthenware dish with straight rim; ceramic body of light colour; exterior and interior painted in light dark blue, only the rim in brown, pigment on a white slip and under a translucent, colourless glaze; interior decoration: centre with a peony, leaves and scrolls; the well separated from the well by a boad blue ring; the well painted with a dense pattern of three lions alternating with peonies, the background filled with scrolls; exterior decoration: between two thin pale blue lines four symbols of the auspicious Chinese po-ku, or the Hundred Antiques, including the Pearl, the Pair of Books, the Painting and possibly the Chess Board, with its playing surface facing downwards, in dark blue against a plain white background; footring with a double line; the slightly turquoise quartz slip with the painted decoration covered by a brilliant clear glaze, which adheres well to the body, a few areas on the rim unglazed; the inside of the footring glazed, with large, open bubbles; no signs of crazing; rim on the interior chipped in two places. There are large areas of brown stains on both interior and exterior and inside the footring. The glaze is scratched, in some areas more densely.