Raqqa ware

An incomplete Raqqa ware jar, c. 1200, currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Raqqa or Rakka ware is a style of lustreware ceramic pottery that was a mainstay of the economy of Raqqa in northeastern Syria during the Ayyubid dynasty. Though the ceramics were varied in character, they have been identified during the 20th century by on-site excavations that securely linked the highly sought-after surviving pieces to Raqqa. However, Raqqa was not the only production cite and Raqqa Ware has been found at various locations on the Euphrates, such as Qala'at Balis. The pieces typically have a white body covered in siliceous glaze, with decorations in brown luster or blue and back underglaze. The glazes most often vary in both transparency and shades of turquoise, however other colors were also used. Raqqa ware typically consists of kitchen items such as jars, dishes, and bowls with basic shapes that served everyday purposes such as storage. Some sculptural figures exist, and though their original purpose is debated, they are thought to be toys or decorations for the home.

Ceramics

Raqqa's ceramics were varied in character, but have been identified during the 20th century by on-site excavations that securely linked the highly sought-after surviving pieces to Raqqa. Over a heavily potted body of coarse stone-paste often covered with a white slip, monochrome and polychrome underglaze stains of copper (turquoise), cobalt (blue) or manganese (purplish-brown) were covered with a greenish clear glaze and fired. Lustreware was also developed at Raqqa, after the Fatimid collapse in Egypt (1171), which until then had been the only center of lustreware production.

Collections

Major collections are at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Ashmolean Museum.