Count St. Genois d'Anneaucourt (1927)
© Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris and © CNAC/MNAM/Dist. Réunion des Musées Nationaux/Art Resource, NY
(Intriguing portrait, isn't it? Would you like to know the artist's name, and the snarky reason behind his composition? Click on the image!)
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Wordless Wednesdays on AboutWhile I was nattering on over the glories of
della Robbia terracotta glazes last week, unbeknownst to me my Archaeological colleague, Kris Hirst, was putting together a
marvelous new feature on Islamic lustreware. Lustreware, if you haven't had the pleasure of meeting it, is a ceramic firing process, begun in the 8th century AD, that makes ordinary glazing look as easy as rolling off a log. It involves copper, silver and lead, a mixture that merits lustreware's traditional reputation as 'alchemy' (and also has probably lethally poisoned more than a few kiln attendants over the centuries).
Lustreware is gorgeous and worthy of any art-historic fan's attention. And Kris, whose excellent work I read regularly for scientific background, has got a trio of treats for anyone who would like to further investigate this decorative process. Enjoy!
Lustreware on About.com Archaeology
