Bowl of Reflections, Kashan, Iran (fritware)

Ceramic; fritware, painted in luster and blue over an opaque white glaze. While the image on this dish does not appear to be narrative, the presence of a bird, a familiar theme in Persian mystical literature, and human features associated with light (such as the moon-shaped faces) set the tone for the mystical verses appearing in two bands around the rim and interior. The text includes poetry by Rumi’s spiritual master, Shams al-Din Tabrizi (d.1248), as well as verses believed to have been composed by the lesser-known Baba Afzal al-Din Kashani (d.1213–14).