Luster-painted ceramics, which represent one of the most original and spectacular contributions of the Islamic potter, is an especially long-lived technique, and the resulting products must have always been considered as a form of luxury ware, in part because they required two firings. In the first firing, an opaque, generally white glaze was applied, and in the second, the design was daubed from a paste that included silver and copper compounds ground with sulfur. The second firing took place in a special kiln that restricted the flow of oxygen; this reducing atmosphere forced the metals to give up their oxygen, thereby creating a thin, lustrous film that fused with the glazed surface.
From the late twelfth to the early fourteenth century, Kashan, in Central Iran, was the most prolific center for lusterware. During this period, a chief duty of the Kashan potters was to produce dazzling luster tile ensembles to cover the walls of newly constructed palaces and religious monuments. This star-shaped tile, depicting a horse in a landscape, may have originally formed part of one such assemblage, composed of dozens of interlocking pieces that featured various animal and human figures. The horse’s spots represent a convention of Kashan luster painting rather than an observation based on natural appearance.
2025
