Runic letters on a bowl?

[CyrusSH]

It seems there are some letters on this bowl with the design of a viking ship which has been found in Nishpaur in the northeast of Iran (probably from the early 10th century AD): http://www.ichodoc.ir/p-a/CHANGED/43/IMAGES/43_10_1b.jpg are they Runic letters?

 

[Segorian]

No, so far as I can see none of the symbols on the bowl look like runes. Also, calligraphic runic inscriptions are almost nonexistent. On the hypothesis that there is indeed a connection to runes, a possible explanation is perhaps that these are ornamental symbols imitating runes, mirroring the use in Europe of imitations of the Kufic script for decorative purposes around the same time.

 

[CyrusSH]

There is a Kufic word (in white color) on the sail which seems to be الملک (al-malik) which means "king" but other ones in black color, as you said, are probably just ornamental symbols.

 

[tewlwolow]

Note also that Scandinavian runes have lots in common with Iberian and even Old Turkic scripts.