Iran, Kashan. c. 1200 CE
Blue luster dish with harpy
Fritware, blue underglaze (likely cobalt) and brown luster
Gift of Elinor Lander Horwitz, class of 1950
SC 2016:29-30
This bowl is decorated with the image of a harpy, or bird with the head of a woman. The harpy has origins in Greek mythology as a disruptive force. However, it was a positive sign in Iranian culture, usually symbolizing good fortune and promising beginnings.
The image of the harpy speaks to the cultural exchange between ancient Greece and Persia (modern day Iran) that existed over the centuries.
Vivian Myron, Northampton High School ‘17
[Detailed Image Description: Fairly shallow blue dish with a base. The shape of the dish is slightly warped and asymmetrical. It depicts a harpy – a bird with the head of human – at its center, with abstract patterns encircling the edge of the bowl. The harpy is painted in a brown luster that has turned somewhat green over time. It has been touched up at some point in the recent past. The outside of the bowl is also blue and features repeated illegible fake script around the side. There is also a signature near the base of the bowl done in black.]