Blue and White Muslimware Bowl

This late 19th century footed bowl would have been offered in Central Asia by Chinese traders along the Silk Road in exchange for spices or gems. The Chinese artisans who hand painted it with scrolls, loops and crossed lines thought the decorations looked similar to Islamic characters that they didn’t know how to write. The bowl would have been used every day for tea, rice, noodles and soup. It can be used today for just about anything but we like it for fruit, nuts and snacks and the stories it triggers about the art and cultural history that spans from East to West Asia.