Mould-blown Glass Bowl

This bowl belongs to a large group of early Islamic vessels that were decorated by pinching or stamping the surface with tongs or stamps that were probably made of iron. This mould-blown deep sea-blue bowl presents a rounded shape with an inverted base and a stepped gilded rim. The decoration of this bowl consists of impressed and repeated geometric motifs. These simple roundels, each containing six circles around a central circle, can be seen on the sides of the bowl. Further circles are positioned in the interstices above and below, in addition to a band with ovals on the upper part. This kind of decoration was very popular during the early Islamic period, and is found on several surviving examples attributed to Egypt.