- Title
- Filter for a Water Jar
- Date Made
- 10th-12th century
- Medium
- Earthenware, carved, incised, and pierced
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 2 1/16 in. (5.24 cm)
- Accession Number
- M.2002.1.129
- Collecting Area
- Art of the Middle East: Islamic
- Curatorial Notes
Given their fragility, few unglazed ceramic water vessels produced in Fatimid Egypt survive intact. However, numerous disk-shaped filters, traditionally attached to the rim of the vessel, are extant. Serving the practical purpose of keeping the water clear of insects and debris, some of these filters are elaborately designed, featuring calligraphy or figural motifs. In this example, a fish swims through rolling water, a witty reference to the function of the vessel itself.
- 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.