In the Islamic world, the passion for writing saw it being used as a decorative scheme on a variety of materials. Among the most beautiful types of Islamic ceramics with calligraphy were slip-painted wares, produced during the Samanid period (891-1005) in Iran. In this inscription, the vertical shafts of the letters end in a foliated motif. It reads: ‘Generosity is the disposition of the dwellers of paradise.’ Slip is a semi-fluid clay, and white slip was often used by the Muslim potters to coat the entire surface of an earthenware vessel in order to create a blank canvas for further decoration.
