Feb. 29, 2012 at 6:02am with 8 notes
bulgariabalkansottoman timesarthistorybeautiful
Bowls very similar to this one have Slavic inscriptions that indicate they were made in northwestern Bulgaria in the 1570s, when the country was part of the Ottoman Empire. This bowl’s neutral imagery makes it uncertain whether it was used by Christians or Muslims. To a Christian, the peacocks on it would symbolize the garden of paradise; to a Muslim, they would allude to luxury and courtly pleasures.

Bowls very similar to this one have Slavic inscriptions that indicate they were made in northwestern Bulgaria in the 1570s, when the country was part of the Ottoman Empire. This bowl’s neutral imagery makes it uncertain whether it was used by Christians or Muslims. To a Christian, the peacocks on it would symbolize the garden of paradise; to a Muslim, they would allude to luxury and courtly pleasures.

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