LACMA

ShopMembershipMyLACMATickets
LACMA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
info@lacma.org
(323) 857-6000
Sign up to receive emails
Subscribe
© Museum Associates 2025

Museum Hours

Monday

11 am–6 pm

Tuesday

11 am–6 pm

Wednesday

Closed

Thursday

11 am–6 pm

Friday

11 am–8 pm

Saturday

10 am–7 pm

Sunday

10 am–7 pm

 

  • About LACMA
  • Jobs
  • Building LACMA
  • Host An Event
  • Unframed
  • Press
  • FAQs
  • Log in to MyLACMA
  • Privacy Policy
© Museum Associates 2025
Collections

Canteen15th century

On view:
Geffen Galleries, Earth and Water
Unglazed ceramic pilgrim flask with a flat disk-shaped body, two loop handles, and molded sunburst and scrolling vine decoration in relief
Ceramic pilgrim flask with flat circular body, two loop handles, and short narrow neck, covered in a pale buff slip with molded relief decoration featuring a central medallion of interlaced knotwork surrounded by radiating scroll and floral motifs.
Ceramic pilgrim flask with a flat circular body and two loop handles, unglazed buff earthenware, with molded relief decoration featuring a central medallion of interlaced Arabic script surrounded by radiating petal forms.
Title
Canteen
Place Made
Syria or Egypt
Date Made
15th century
Medium
Fritware, unglazed
Dimensions
Height: 10 × 4 1/4 in. (25.4 × 10.8 cm) Diameter (Diameter): 7 7/8 in. (20.0025 cm)
Credit Line
The Madina Collection of Islamic Art, gift of Camilla Chandler Frost
Accession Number
M.2002.1.56
Classification
Ceramics
Collecting Area
Art of the Middle East: Islamic
Curatorial Notes

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.

Selected Bibliography
  • Komaroff, Linda, editor. Dining with the Sultan: The Fine Art of Feasting. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; New York: DelMonico Books, 2023.