Samanid underglaze painted dish, of truncated conical form with a decoration formed by the Hebrew letter ם ‘Mem’ and a band of pseudo-kufic inscription, repaired clear breaks. Central Asia, Samarkand, early 11th century. h. 4.1 cm; Diam. 11.4 cm. Published: Arts from the Land of Timur. An Exhibition from a Scottish Private Collection. Edinburgh: Sogdiana Books, 2012, Cat. no 361. The Hebrew letter ם (Mem) is a word meaning ‘water’. In the Sefer Yetzirah (‘Book of Formation’ or ‘Book of Creation’, is the title of the earliest extant book on Jewish esotericism), the letter ‘Mem’ is King over Water, Formed Earth in the Universe, Cold in the Year, and the Belly in the Soul. An exceptionally rare and magnificent example of Jewish culture in early medieval Central Asia.