in Islāmic ceramics, style originating in Samarkand province (now in Uzbekistan) that was at its height in the 10th century and had backgrounds of black, red, and creamy white with decorations in green, yellow, pink, and brown. The most famous, and perhaps oldest, examples have Kufic lettering inscribed in black on white ground. Other ornamentation included rosettes, palmettes, flowers, peacock-tail eyes, and geometric patterns.