Fig. 35.—Venetian Dish. (S.K.M.)
Persian, Damascus, and Rhodian Wares.
The artistic pottery and tiles of Persia, though forming a large variety, may nearly all be brought under the designation of siliceous or glass-glazed wares, the tin glaze being only met with occasionally in some Persian and Damascus examples, where an unusually white surface was required. All the glazed wares of Persia are highly baked, and are mostly of a semi-translucent character.
Fig. 36.—Persian Lustred Ware.
There is the fine copper, ruby, and brown lustred ware, which has sometimes a white and at others a blue ground. The plate (Fig. 36) is an example of this ware. The design on this ware is in the pure Persian character.
Another kind, and by far the most numerous, are the wares of a coarse porcelain variety, not only made in imitation of Chinese porcelain, but decorated to imitate the Chinese ware, the ornament being sometimes mixed with Arabian forms; the colour a bright blue on a white ground, and the Chinese marks or signatures being copied as well (Figs. 37 and 38).
Fig. 37.—Flower Vase, Persian, with Chinese decoration.