Ceramics -Bowl with chained cheetah
Size: H. 58 cm; D. 90 cm
Origin and time: Tunis, 19th century, (Qallaline)
Bardo National Museum, Tunis
Flat, slightly curved bowl with beaded edge and polychrome ornaments in yellow, green and brown on a white background. As main motive in the middle a cheetah is tied to a bush, surrounded by arches and stripes decorated with fish bones. The cheetah, portrayed in profile, is with his head turned towards the spectator showing an evil facial expression with protruding eyes, his back pitched and his claws spread. This illustration is a Tunisian reinterpretation of the forbidden fruit tree and connects thematically to the Anatolian Tradition, which can be found e.g. on an Iznik plate with the inscription "the chained panther" dating back to the 17th century.
