Pottery had been made and used extensively in the Middle East far before the introduction and spread of Islam. The Middle East was heavily influenced by China and its artistic ceramics (which was geographically located to the East) and by Europe and their Greek and Roman pottery (which was geographically located to the North) – all of whom promoted figurative art. Islam prohibited figurative art on most surfaces and therefore as the Islamic conquest spread the religion throughout the Middle East, it slowly and gradually changed the type of household ware used by its people.
Prior to the spread of Islam in the Middle East, the most commonly found pottery was glazed and unglazed domestic ware, as well as vessels for storage and transportation. Unglazed vessels slowly sweat, therefore causing the liquids contents to seep out. This evaporation leads to the cooling of the liquid, which was a requirement in the Middle East. Applying a glaze to pottery would make it impermeable and would therefore be ideal for storage and transportation vessels, or for pottery storing valuable liquids. Additionally, glazed pottery was the defacto for household table ware.
With the spread of Islam, one of the new technologies introduced by Islamic potters was tin-glazing. Tin-based glaze is white in color and gives a glossy effect which allowed for the addition of color to decorate the surface of pottery. This technique eventually spread throughout the Middle East and was also used extensively in Europe and Asia. Additionally, tin-based glaze gave rise to a wide variety of decorated Islamic pottery and allowed for the Muslim elite to obtain elaborately decorated pieces for their housewares.
One of the most recognized pieces of Fatimid and Islamic pottery is the Fatimid Water Filter Jugs. The water jugs were unglazed, which allowed the water to remain cool as it evaporated, and contained filters at the neck of the jugs to keep out insects and debris. The recovered jugs in museums and collections are rarely found in their entirety, and usually only have their filters intact with the rest of the jug either missing or in far too many pieces to restore. Perhaps this is because the water jug was one of the most essential pieces of household ware in the Middle East and therefore the most commonly excavated, and early archaeologists saw no reason in attempting to restore and preserve the jug in its entirety. Therefore while a few collections do host complete water jugs, the majority out there do not.
While the water jugs were in existence prior to the Fatimid era, it was only during the Fatimid era in which the filters in the jugs were refined to include beautiful calligraphy, ornamental, floral, abstract, organic (with animal motifs) and geometric patterns. This was mainly due to the promotion of art and architecture during the Fatimid period as well as the wealth of the Caliphate allowing it to become a major trading hub. The range of designs excavated from even the modest households is extraordinary.
This partially restored Fatimid water filter jug is located in the Cirta National Museum (4HP t94). It was made in, and excavated from, Qal‘a des Banu Hammad, Algeria.
This Fatimid water filter is located in the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology (1971.1.3). It was excavated in Fustat (medieval Cairo), Egypt.