Although made in a variety of mediums, canteens in the Islamic world most often were simple, utilitarian water vessels, probably left unglazed to allow for evaporation to keep their contents cooler. Despite their humble materials, they were nonetheless often richly decorated, as can be seen in this example, whose molded ornament, identical on both sides, is dominated by a central medallion with an elaborately coiled knot motif surrounded by an inscription offering good wishes and providing the name of its maker, a certain al-Mufid. Such unglazed molded canteens are especially associated with Syrian pottery workshops and must have been made for soldiers and their officers as some carry the blazons or heraldic devices of high-ranking amirs.

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