Cleveland Museum of Art

Dish

Date

c. 1475–1500

Medium

Tin-glazed earthenware with luster-painted design

Culture

Spain, probably Valencia

Department

Decorative Art and Design

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Alternating leaves and pomegranates circle the rim of this dish, emerging from the swirling vegetal motif in the background. The pomegranate is a common decorative element in Islamic art. It is mentioned in the Qur’an as one of the fruits of paradise and is prized for its beauty and nutritional benefits. The use of the pomegranate on this luminous dish may indicate that it was produced for the court of the Nasrid dynasty (1232–1492) in Spain. The palace of Alhambra, the seat of power for the emirs, dynastic Muslim rulers, from the early 1300s, is in Granada, which translates to pomegranate. A wine cup in the center of the dish evokes the pleasures of a feast.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.