Fatimid Glassware

Timeline

1. 900–1000Fustat · EgyptAfter the Fatimid conquest of Egypt, Fustat's glass workshops inherited and developed the Roman–Islamic glass tradition, beginning to produce cut and painted decorated vessels.
2. 1021–1030Fustat–Cairo · EgyptIn this period Fatimid glassware reached its peak in form diversity, enamel painting precision, and gold foil inlay, with many fine pieces flowing into the court and overseas markets.
3. 1000–1100Cairo · EgyptBotanical motifs, calligraphic inscriptions, and geometric patterns formed a typical decorative vocabulary; lampshades, bottles, bowls, incense burners, and other vessel types were complete, becoming markers for identifying Fatimid material culture.
4. 1171–1200Cairo · EgyptAfter the fall of the Fatimids, court orders decreased and high-grade glass production gradually declined, though some techniques and decorative traditions continued in different forms in the Mamluk period.