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AuctionsA Lifetime of Discovery IIILot 22

Attributed Samanid Slip-Painted Epigraphic Bowl, 10th Century — view 1
Attributed Samanid Slip-Painted Epigraphic Bowl, 10th Century — view 1
Attributed Samanid Slip-Painted Epigraphic Bowl, 10th Century — view 2
Attributed Samanid Slip-Painted Epigraphic Bowl, 10th Century — view 3
Attributed Samanid Slip-Painted Epigraphic Bowl, 10th Century — view 4
Attributed Samanid Slip-Painted Epigraphic Bowl, 10th Century — view 5
Attributed Samanid Slip-Painted Epigraphic Bowl, 10th Century — view 6
Attributed Samanid Slip-Painted Epigraphic Bowl, 10th Century — view 7
Attributed Samanid Slip-Painted Epigraphic Bowl, 10th Century — view 8
Attributed Samanid Slip-Painted Epigraphic Bowl, 10th Century — view 9
Attributed Samanid Slip-Painted Epigraphic Bowl, 10th Century — view 10

Lot 22

Attributed Samanid Slip-Painted Epigraphic Bowl, 10th Century

Estimate$600–$1,200

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Offered in A Lifetime of Discovery III · Sunday, November 1, 2026, To be announced

A slip-painted earthenware bowl attributed to the Samanid period, 10th century, probably Nishapur or Samarkand. The vessel is formed with a broad conical body rising from a shallow ring foot and is covered in a pale cream to white slip beneath a transparent glaze.

The interior is decorated near the rim with a band of black epigraphic or pseudo-Kufic ornament, a hallmark of eastern Iranian and Central Asian ceramics of the Samanid period. The pale slipped surface is extensively weathered, with areas of glaze loss, cracking and active-looking flaking or delamination that reveal the reddish-buff earthenware body beneath.

The simple foot, earthenware fabric, slipped surface and restrained black inscriptional decoration are consistent with 10th-century Samanid ceramic traditions associated with Nishapur and Samarkand. Attribution and dating are based on form, materials, decoration, construction and visible surface characteristics; the bowl has not been scientifically tested for age.

Size
2 1/2 in. high x 6 5/8 in. diameter.
Provenance
Property from an important private collection, assembled by a dealer and collector over more than six decades.
Condition
Extensive age-related surface wear, cracking and glaze loss, with areas of old repair and restoration. Pale slip and glaze are heavily weathered and flaking in places, with scattered losses exposing the earthenware body. Additional chips, abrasions and wear to the rim, foot and underside. Please refer to photographs.

Estimates are opinions of value, given as a guide.