These two representations of peacocks from northeastern Iran and Egypt present historians with an intriguing problem of revealing often obscure lines of cultural and aesthetic influence. Produced no more than a century apart, both pieces depict a peacock in vibrant detail. The sites of production for these pieces were relatively distant, however, both bowls employ similar imagery and techniques. However, the Nishapur bowl was created for a Nestorian consumer while the Egyptian sherd may have been produced in an Islamic aesthetic tradition. With this complex relationship in mind, the two pieces offer tantalizing evidence for the movement of ideas and influences throughout the medieval Middle East.