Ceramics History
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As early as the first and second century AD, the pottery produced in Egypt was unparalleled .Islamic pottery boasts a distinctive style, a diversity of colors and patterns, and special processing techniques. In the 9th century, in Samarra and Baghdad, artisans producing pottery attempted to imitate Chinese porcelain. The craftsmen covered clay with white pewter glazes, producing the first faience in the history of ceramics. Later, the luster technique developed. After firing, the ceramic was painted with a compound of silver, sulfur, copper oxides and color pigments. Then, the pieces were fired again creating a gleaming surface.The 12th century was the golden age of Islamic ceramics in which Persian artisans developed many fine techniques. At the time, the most popular color used in ceramic tiles, cobalt blue, could only be obtained in Persia. Later, the techniques of tile production developed in the Middle East were carried to Spain and influenced the ceramic tradition in Italy, and, eventually, the rest of Europe. In the 13th century, the Seljuks used ceramic tiles to decorate buildings. However, this architectural embellishment was perfected by the Ottomans, whose use of ceramic tiles suggested tapestries decorated in ochre, turquoise, emerald green tulips, flowering trees and arabesques on blue and white backgrounds. Isnik and Istanbul were centers of tile production in Ottoman Turkey. The only competition for the beauty of Istanbul’s use of tiles was perhaps the work on the domes of the mosques in Isphahan commissioned by Shah Abbass I in Persia. |
