Dish thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Islamic Middle East, Room 42, The Jameel Gallery

Dish

1580-1585 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Ottoman court's patronage of Iznik ceramics was renewed during the construction of the Süleymaniye mosque in Istanbul in 1550-7. The first Iznik tiles were produced, and a bright red was added to the range of colours painted under the glaze. This was achieved with a slip made from a special clay.

In the following decades, tiles of high quality were decorated in red, green and tones of blue on a white ground. Dishes, bottles and other vessels had similar decoration on white or coloured grounds.

By the 1530s, small sprays of tulips and other recognisable flowers were a common motif, but from the 1550s these were replaced by compositions on a larger scale, as seen on this dish with a fish-scale ground.


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Fritware, polychrome underglaze painted, glazed
Brief description
Dish with 'fish-scale' patterning forming a star motif, Turkey (Iznik), 1580-1585.
Physical description
This medium sized dish is painted with red, white, green and blue, under a clear glaze. The decoration on the inside of the dish is separated into two sections; the bowl and the rim. The rim is decorated with a wave-scroll pattern. This is interrupted by a repeated abstract leaf motif in white and red, which cuts into the border from alternate sides. The bowl of the dish is covered with an all-over textural design resembling fish-scales. There is a central red flower motif which forms the middle of a six pointed star filled with green 'fish-scales', or imbrication. A large hexagon delimits the decoration on the flat of the bowl's interior from its sides. Inside the hexagon is decorated with blue imbrication; outside it is in green and red. The exterior of the dish is mostly left white, with a simple ring of small blue flowers.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 30.3cm
  • Height: 5.5cm
Styles
Gallery label
  • Jameel Gallery Variety of Shape and Design The shapes of Iznik vessels were derived from sources as varied as metalwork (9–11), leatherwork (14) and Chinese and Italian ceramics. Models included the Chinese ‘grape dish’ (2) and the Italian tondino form (15). By the 1530s, small sprays of tulips and other recognisable flowers were a common motif (9, 10, 15), but from the 1550s these were replaced by compositions on a larger scale. Many were originally developed for tilework (1, 3). 13-14 Dish and Carafe with Fish-scale Ground Turkey, probably Iznik 1580-5, and about 1545 Fritware painted under the glaze Museum nos. C.2028, C.2012-1910 Bequest of George Salting(2006)
  • TURKISH (IZNIK) ; second half of 16th century. Salting Bequest. C.2028-1910.(1954-2005)
Production
Dating based on similarity to dish in Iznik catalogue (fig. 744).
Subjects depicted
Summary
The Ottoman court's patronage of Iznik ceramics was renewed during the construction of the Süleymaniye mosque in Istanbul in 1550-7. The first Iznik tiles were produced, and a bright red was added to the range of colours painted under the glaze. This was achieved with a slip made from a special clay.

In the following decades, tiles of high quality were decorated in red, green and tones of blue on a white ground. Dishes, bottles and other vessels had similar decoration on white or coloured grounds.

By the 1530s, small sprays of tulips and other recognisable flowers were a common motif, but from the 1550s these were replaced by compositions on a larger scale, as seen on this dish with a fish-scale ground.
Collection
Accession number
C.2028-1910

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdMay 6, 2005
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest