The late Persian city of Kashan is located southeast of Tehran, the capital of Iran. It was the center of Persian pottery production in the Middle Ages.
Kashan was destroyed by the Mongols in 1224, but when the Mongols conquered Baghdad in 1258, it is said that both Chinese and Kashanian wares were preserved. Kashan was known for its luster-glazed tiles that decorated the interiors of mosques and were sent all over Western Asia. At the same time, many luster-glazed vessels were also produced. The two types of tile share many common patterns, such as figures interacting with each other and elephants, and the pointillism method was also used. Many bird and text patterns are also found.
The ground of the pattern is filled with small dots and small arabesques all over the surface. Various other techniques were created in Kashan, such as the minaite technique and the technique of blackened patterns, and were spread to other regions. (Pope, A.U., “ASurveyofPersianArt”)
