Jug, fritware, painted in underglaze blue, Turkish (Kütahya), 1715-40

Jug, fritware, pear-shaped body, angular spout spout, loop handle and base ring foot, middle of the body and curves out just below the neck

The painted decoration is in monochrome cobalt blue on a white ground. On the body it is divided by two narrow bands in relief which run below the neck and around the middle of the body. The later moulding is edged in blue. The pattern consists of two pairs of rows of a motif shaped like a plump chevron or sycamore seed. Above this either side of the neck is a medallion with a pointed top flanked by floral sprays. A wavy dotted line edges the rim. Another thicker wavy line decorates each side of the spout. The handle has leaf-shaped dashes along its length.

This jug was made in Kütahya, in western Anatolia. The town had a long tradition of making pottery. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was overshadowed by the town of Iznik. But in the 18th century, after the industry in Iznik collapsed, Kütahya became the main centre for fritware production in Turkey. Fritware, also called stone paste and quartz paste, was developed by Middle Eastern potters as a response to the challenge posed by Chinese porcelain.

335-1892