A Kashan lustre pottery inkwell, Persia, early 13th century

Kashan workshops were renowned for their innovative lustre techniques, in which metallic oxides were applied over a white slip and then re-fired to produce an iridescent surface. While lustre-painted bowls and tiles from this period are relatively well documented, surviving inkwells are exceptionally scarce. This example is particularly notable for its four distinct segments, each containing a figural design. A comparable example is held in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (No. 1974.234).