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Dish: C.49-1932

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Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

White glazed hard-paste porcelain dish (swatow ware) with Arabic inscriptions in overglazed red, green, and black enamels. The flat interior bottom has a large rondel surrounded by an incription, stating that it was made for Fantad Khan, servant of Akbar Kahn (third Mughal Emperor), with eight smaller rondels, which are separated by the same inscription. Above the rondels and encircling the interior lip rim is another long inscription. The base and foot are glazed with sand adhering
The centre contains extracts from the Koran. Rondels 2, 5 and 6 contain extracts from the Koran. Rondels 3 and 7 have inscriptions from the Islamic creed. Rondels 4 and 8 show the name of the owner.

Dishes like this one are commonly found in Indonesia, as they are thought to have been ordered from China by the sultans of Aceh in the northwest of Sumatra. It has been suggested that the design of this type of dish was based on the royal seal called Siap Sikureung (nine-fold seal) or Cap Halilintar (lightning), which represented the lineage of kings, and was central to Acehness identity.

Notes

History note: No record, though label says that the dish was purchased in January 1922, for £5

Legal notes

Given by W.M. Tapp, LL.D

Measurements and weight

Diameter: 34.5 cm
Height: 7.5 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1932-10-14) by Tapp, W. M., Dr

Materials used in production

Enamel
Hard-paste porcelain
Polychrome

Techniques used in production

Overglaze
Glaze

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.49-1932
Primary reference Number: 75281

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Wednesday 15 October 2025

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Dish" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/75281 Accessed: 2025-12-05 08:06:10

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/75281 |title=Dish |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 08:06:10|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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