Page 297 - Life & Land Use on the Bahrain Islands (Curtis E Larsen)

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Early Islamic, as do Adams (1965) and Gibson (1972). Also useful are slightly
rounded flaring bowls with crude blue-glaze splashes forming radiating patterns
against the white-glazed backgrounds of their interior surfaces (cf. Sarre 1925).
Splash-glazed imitations of Tang dynasty Chinese imports also make an appearance
in the Early Islamic period. These are best displayed on the interiors of flaring
bowls where long splashes of green or of green and yellow form radiating patterns
over white slip (Hobson 1932, Sarre 1925, and Lane 1947). Similar to these is a
simple graffito decoration incised through slip and covered with a splashed-glaze.
Such incised designs are loosely drawn curvilinear motifs. Still other ceramic
forms imitate Chinese imports. Tiese are flaring or rounded buff ware bowls with
a white glaze, which often show vertical ribs or fluting (see Sarre 1925). A final
Early Islamic marker is a high-necked jar with horizontal corrugations, flattened
rope rims, and strap handles under light blue glaze. Figures 63 and 64 present
specific Bahraini representatives of the Abbasid period ceramics.

Turban Handles

Tiese are decorated, applied "turbans” on handles of large buff ware jars. In his
Diyala survey Adams (1965) used these to indicate a late Abbasid time range.
Later, he extended this range to cover from A.D. 800 to 1100 (Adams 1970). Figure
63c is an excellent example of the turban handle. Another variation on applied
handle designs is shown in Figure 63d, where two small knobs are present at the top
of the handles. Such knobs also fit into the pattern of Adams’s collection from Abu
Sarifa in the A.D. 800-1100 range (Adams 1970, fig. 8).

Figure 63: Early Islamic Pottery

a. Barbar well; fine, cream ware.
b. Barbar well; dark green glaze on buff ware.
c. Barbar well; fine, cream ware.
d. Barbar well; fine, cream ware.