Vase
Category
Ceramics
Date
1870 - 1900
Materials
Earthenware
Place of origin
Syria
Order this imageCollection
Croft Castle, Herefordshire
NT 537391
Summary
A group of four vases with black naturalistic designs of flowers, birds, fish and flowers under a clear turquoise glaze. The vases are catalogued as 1880-1900, but are in the style of the C13th 'Raqqa' tradition.
Full description
A group of four vases with black naturalistic designs of flowers, birds, fish and flowers under a clear turquoise glaze. The vases are catalogued as 1880-1900, but are in the style of the C13th 'Raqqa' tradition. The pieces are probably a later production of the historic style, reflecting the great interest among Europeans for travel to the Middle East in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This period also saw great interest in 'Raqqa' ceramics, of the type at Croft. Many pieces were exported, including after illegal extraction from the site, and sold in the USA and Europe. The description of these pieces as associated with the historical site of Raqqa on the Euphrates was described by Jenkins-Madina as 'by and large an advertising lure' (2006, 11-19). Though ceramics of this type were produced in workshops at Raqqa, they were also made across other parts of Syria and Egypt. By descent at Croft Castle; purchased by the National Trust at auction at the Croft Castle sale organised by Sotheby's, 6 June 2002, lot 260. Reference: Marilyn Jenkins-Madina, (2006) Raqqa Revisited: Ceramics of Ayyubid Syria (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Provenance
By descent at Croft Castle; purchased by the National Trust at auction at the Croft Castle sale organised by Sotheby’s, 6 June 2002, lot 260.