In this analysis of the two examples of medieval-era lusterware -- the twelfth- or thirteenth-century Persian bowl in the BCMA’s permanent collection and the fifteenth-century Iberian dish on loan from the Wyvern collection -- we can clearly see the immense degree of cross-cultural exchange that was the result of the Islamic presence in Spain, and that led to the characteristic style of lusterware that developed in Valencia. By looking at the Persian Lusterware Bowl, one gets a representative view of traditional Islamic ceramic styles, with its beautiful Kufic script, distinctive geometric pattern, and integration of natural forms that are all mainstays of this Persian tradition. The Umayyad invasion of the Iberian peninsula in 710 was a watershed moment that brought the early foundations for lusterware’s development to western Europe. As Muslims and Islamic influence spread across much of present-day Spain and Portugal, craftsmen established workshops and eventually began producing lusterware for a new market. Specifically, Málaga emerged as a hotbed for this transplanted tradition, a reputation that prompted the use of the widely recognized designation of “obra de malica,” or “Málaga work,” despite its remarkable similarity to an established Persian style. When conflict and strife struck Málaga, the craftsmen migrated to Valencia, where they found increased economic benefit and a particularly friendly and accepting political climate. James I ensured his artists the protection needed to continue to work, regardless of religion, and this created a collaborative atmosphere that was conducive to exchanges between practitioners of different faiths. These interactions inevitably led to the sharing of ideas, styles, and techniques, resulting in the development of a new characteristically Valencian style from the earlier Málagan tradition. This hybrid approach led to the emergence of a distinct combination of Persian and Gothic elements in this new Valencian style.