Lustre

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In Byzantium

The technique of lustre painting was unknown in Byzantium. However, in Corinth, vessels were produced—dating back to the end of the sixteenth century—, which are strikingly similar to Islamic earthenware painted in metallic lustre, some of which have been found on the same site and in Athens. One of the Corinthian dishes appears to be the copy of an Egyptian Fatimid bowl—the resemblance is striking. However, although Byzantine potters were imitating Egyptian ware, they didn’t have the necessary techniques to achieve this. They were not familiar with enamel, a lead glaze that is rendered opaque with tin, nor with lustre. So, they used other techniques to attain the desired effect. These included the use of a white slip coated with a colourless lead glaze to simulate the appearance of the opaque enamel, and a red-tinted slip to produce the lustre. These objects are rare in the production of Byzantine vessels.

V. F.