Distinction de céramiques glaçurées aghlabides ou fatimides (IXe- XIe siècles, Ifriqiya) par la mise en évidence de différences de texture au niveau de l'interface glaçure - terre cuite

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

Matin

et al. 2019

A small group of opaque yellow glazed sherds has recently been identified among the ceramics excavated at the Islamic city of Madīnat al-Zahrā' near Cordoba, in al-Andalus (southern Spain), which was founded in 936 AD as the seat of the Umayyad Caliphate power. A small group of sherds from Madīnat al-Zahrā', which can be dated to about 960-980 AD, has been examined in polished section in a SEM with EDS attached. These analyses have established that the Madīnat al-Zahrā' sherds were opacified with lead stannate, and not lead antimonate, as was being used to opacify yellow glazed ceramics in Egypt and Tunisia in the ninth and tenth centuries AD. Islamic opaque yellow glazed ceramics, with lead stannate as the opacifier, were first produced (Beiträge Zur Islamischen Kunst Und Archäologie 4:125-144, 2014) in Egypt and Syria in seventh/eighth centuries AD, and from there, the technology spread eastwards into Iraq and Iran in the ninth century AD and continued in use in Iran and Central Asia into the tenth century AD and beyond. However, the question of where these opaque yellow glazed ceramics were produced has not been fully resolved. Because such ceramics are extremely rare in al-Andalus, it seems most likely that they were either imported from Iran or Central Asia or produced locally by potters arriving from these areas. The study adds one further, yet not fully understood chapter to the story of a persistent glaze technology which has been widely ignored.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From tin- to antimony-based yellow opacifiers in the early Islamic Egyptian glazes: Regional influences and ruling dynasties

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

Matin

et al. 2019

“…Focusing on the glazed wares, for Phase I (c. 950-980), these comprise almost entirely vessels of Aghlabid-Fatimid Jaune de Raqqada type, with a distinctive yellow-amber glaze, bearing patterns in brown lines and lls in green (Daoulatli 1994;1995;Ben Amara et al 2005). The Utica pieces are likely to be Fatimid period examples, since the typical 9th century Aghlabid decorative schemes (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technological changes in the glazed wares of northern Tunisia in the transition from Fatimid to Zirid rule

Reynolds

2022

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

A representative selection of glazed ceramics recovered from medieval Islamic contexts excavated in the former Roman port of Utica (North Tunisia) has revealed new data about medieval glaze technologies in the central Mediterranean. Strati ed sequences of pottery have established four main phases of occupation which span the mid-10th to the mid-11th centuries. The Utica assemblage demonstrates signi cant changes in the range of glazed wares in the Zirid period with respect to the late Fatimid period: whereas polychrome yellow-amber glazed ware, produced in the Kairouan region, was practically the only glazed ware supplied to Utica in the Fatimid period, an increasingly varied range of polychrome glazed wares was produced in various techniques in the late 10th century, early Zirid period. These new glazed ware types become dominant in the early 11th century.Up to six different glazing techniques have been identi ed, including transparent and opaque glazes with underglaze and overglaze decoration respectively.The absence of tin in all the glazed vessels sampled from Utica con rms the data obtained in a previous study from Bir Ftouha. Though it has been repeatedly stated that tin was used to produce the white background of Fatimid-Zirid glazed wares in Tunisia, this was achieved by adding quartz to the glaze. Some imports of glazed ceramics from Sicily and al-Andalus have been detected: their appearance in the early-mid 11th century is signi cant as seems to indicate a rst stage in the re-activation of Mediterranean commerce, which increased in the course of the following centuries.

“…Similar shapes and glazes are repeated in contemporary contexts of Palestine (TAXEL 2014) and Egypt (GAYRAUD, VALLAURY 2017). Moreover, in the central Mediterranean, in Ifrīqiya (Tunisia), a fine and elaborated polychrome-transparent underglaze-painted tableware of Iranian influence (GRAGUEB 2017) was produced during the Aghlabid dynasty rule (Raqqāda after AD 876) (BEN AMARA et al 2001) with continuity during the Fatimid period (10 th century) (BEN AMARA et al 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The transition from lead transparent to tin-opacified glaze productions in the western Islamic lands: al-Andalus, c. 875–929 CE

Journal of Archaeological Science

2018

The earliest glazed ware in al-Andalus is dated to the Emiral period (c. AD 850-875) and is not until the Caliphate of Córdoba (AD 929-1031) that a distinctive polychrome tin glaze started being produced. A short transition period (c. AD 875-925) in which elaborate monochrome and bichrome transparent glazes wares coexist with polychrome transparent and tin opaque glazed wares has been identified. The existence of a polychrome lead transparent glaze production in al-Andalus wares is demonstrated; it has distinctive composition and methods of production from monochrome and bichrome wares, and shares a distinctive absence of foot and overglaze application of the decorations with the tin-opacified wares. With regard to the possible routes of the introduction of the polychrome lead and tin glazes into the western Mediterranean the Tunisian connection seems completely discarded. Moreover, and although some similarities between the Cordoba and the Abbasid productions such as similar tin glaze recipe and decorative patterns and use of lead glazes, can be traced, the dissimilarities, such as, the use of overglaze decorations, absence of alkali transparent glazes, variances in the tableware shapes and absence of foot, are still more important, and do not support a clear link between them.