Terracotta Pieces: A terracotta dish

This stamp presents a “Terracotta Dish” from the 10th century AD, originating from Kairouan, a major intellectual and artistic center of the Fatimid and Zirid era. The central decoration represents a stylized animal, probably a gazelle or a deer, surrounded by geometric and floral motifs typical of medieval Islamic art. This piece testifies to the introduction of new glaze techniques and polychrome decorations which revolutionized the art of the table in Ifriqiya. The stamp thus celebrates Kairouan's heritage in the development of a unique Tunisian aesthetic, a crossroads of oriental and local influences.