Research Journal Assignment 4

I like this bowl because, at first glance, it reminded me of a clock, but after reading the description of the design, it depicts objects and buildings throughout the history of Islamic art, and this bowl spcifically shows purity and power. It's a simple disign, but at a closer look it shows a lot of the Islamic history and culture.

"Bowl [Samarqand (Uzbekistan) or Nishapur (Iran)] (65.106.2)". In Heilbrunn
Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/65.106.2 (October 2006)



This piece caught my eye because of how much detail there is on the top. It doesn't look you could drink out of it, or even mix anything in it, rather it could be used just for decoration, or as it was really used in the Japanese culture, for ritual. I also found this piece really cool because of how it was made - with coils of clay and then smoothed out. I imagine that building up the clay would be much easier than getting everything smoothd out and symetrical.

"Deep bowl with sculptural rim [Japan] (1992.252.1)". In Heilbrunn Timeline
of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1992.252.1 (October 2006)



I love this piece becuase of the glaze and the detailed carved patterns. It looks as if it were painted with a light and dark green, but instead just a single glaze that pooled up where the clay had been hollowed out. The design makes it look very elegant when in reality it depicts "a serpent-leg dragon whose head forms the spout and is straddled by a dimunitive rider".

"Ewer [China] (26.292.73)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New
York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/26.292.73 (October 2006)



This. Is. Awesome! I want one of these! The detail is amazingly done and the handle is very whimsical at first glance, but at a closer look, there are two children playing! I love the way that the children are thrown in there but made to look just like the rest of the handle. The description explains that princes and wealthy patricians collected these for display, and it makes sense - these look expensive and as if only the finest liquids should be put in them to be drank by the most wealthy people.

http://collection.mam.org/details.php?id=4287