This bowl is painted with decorations comprising Persian verses and 'boteh' (paisley) motifs in enamels and gold. Each piece is signed Mirza Buzurg Shirazi and dated AH 1260, which corresponds to 1844-5 CE. The verses relate the martyrdom of the third Imam of the Shi'a, al-Husayn ibn 'Ali, at the battle of Karbala in 680 CE.Objects such as this highlight the popularity and international appeal of Chinese porcelain. They were export wares intended for the West Asian or Indian markets, and the porcelain may possibly have been embellished in Lucknow, India. They may have been commissioned by a Shi'a patron perhaps for presentation to an Imambara, the congregation hall for Shi'a ritual ceremonies especially during the Muharram. Porcelain decorated with verses written for a Shi'a purpose is very rare.
