Christian rulers Ferdinand and Isabella’s 1492 capture of Granada ended the last great Muslim emirate on the Iberian Peninsula and a high point in Western European culture. During the preceding seven centuries since the Umayyad occupation of Spain in 711 A.D., the Moors had created a legacy of exquisite architecture, garden design, decorative art, scientific inquiry, literature, philosophy and relative religious tolerance. Even after the final wave of expulsions of the Moriscos, Spaniards of Muslim descent, in 1614, the Moorish influence remained strong in Spanish arts, music and dance. This is particularly true of the luster-ware ceramics of Valencia, centered around the town of Manises. “Hispanic-Moresque” ware was exported throughout Europe during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, greatly influencing other tin glazed ceramics such as Italian majolica and Dutch and English Delftware. Production enjoyed a revival in the mid-19th century leading to the establishment of a formal Valencian School of Ceramics in 1917. Dating our example is difficult. Its large bowl shape, pink luster glaze, blue central decoration and “Ave Maria” and dragon motif are all typical of 17th Century work. However, the abstract flowers, playful dragon and the angel are slightly reminiscent of the ceramics of William de Morgan, who famously took up luster-ware glazes during the English Arts and Crafts period. Therefore, our bowl may be from the 19th Century Manises revival if not older. Condition: Excellent. Fitted with antique wall hanger. Dimensions: 14" Dia.