The era of Islamic pottery started in the 5th century. It seems that Muslims inherited the pottery craft from Mesopotamia, Persia and Egypt and other cultural regions. For example, the origin of glazed pottery has been traced to Egypt where it was first introduced during the fourth millennium BC. From there, it reached most parts of the near Eastern region.

During the Abbasid dynasty, pottery production gained momentum, largely using tin glazes, mostly starting in the form of opaque white glaze. The rise of the ceramics industry has largely been attributed to heavy Chinese influences. This was a result of established trade between Iraq and China. It was believed that the influence of Chinese pottery first developed following the Chinese’s defeat against the Arabs at the Battle of Talas. It has been argued that imprisoned Chinese potters could have taught the Muslims the art of pottery making.
Early Abbasid wares are characterised by their boldness and simplicity. There is usually a very limited range of designs, which consist of floral pattern.
This half-human, half-bird ewer is very unusual in its shape. The globular body rests on three legs. The long handle runs from the neck to the tail. The ewer is double-spouted with one opening at the tail and one at the mouth It bears the characteristic Abbasid blue-green colour.