Patterns

Decoration of Glass-Earthenware consisted of geometric and vegetal patterns, which often covered their entire surface. Animal and human figures were also used to depict royal hunts, amorous scenes and musicians, taken mostly from Shah-nameh Ferdowsi. Popular love stories, such as "Bahram Gour and Azadeh" and "Bijan and Manijeh", were also used. The main elements in many of these paintings were a single bird and a tree flanked by two persons. The faces on 12th century AD wares are distinctly Seljuk, although their face is not clear and their clothes give no clue in this regard.

Decorative patterns of Glass-Earthenware were comparable to those of illustrated manuscripts, produced in Iran and Iraq. Although few illustrated manuscripts have remained from Seljuk period. Miniatures of Moraqa Golshan, preserved in Topkapi, Turkey can be considered to the patterns appearing on Glass-Earthenware.

It seems that designers and painters of illustrated manuscripts were also responsible for painting and decoration for Glass-Earthenware. They used indigo, green, red, brown, black, yellow and white, together or in different combinations. Indigo and turquoise blue were mostly used as an under glaze decoration.

Production centers of Glass-Earthenware were Saveh, Natanz, Jorjan, Soltan-abad (Arak), Kashan and Rey. Soltan-abad housed numerous workshops. Rey, also import Glass-Earthenware.