Abstract: | The application of petrographic analysis to the problems of provenance attribution of ceramics made in the Islamic world is complicated by the presence of the highly quartzose ‘stonepaste’body. To facilitate the differentiation of different stonepaste groups, it has been necessary to develop specific criteria for distinguishing the characteristics of each centre, including the assessment of the degree of cloudiness of the quartz as rendered by fluid inclusions. This has enabled the successful application of petrographic analysis, and the solution of a number of provenance problems. |