Dish
1500-1550 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The form and decoration of this dish is inspired by Chinese ceramics of the late Yuan and early 15th century. An interesting feature of the decoration is how the artist has encircled the flowerhead in the centre with a leafy stem which appears to issue from the rim of the eight-pointed star around it. Such decorative schemes rarely appear in Chinese porcelain, where the scrolls are usually continuous. There is a similar dish in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (EA1978.1484), which appears to have been made in the same workshop. This workshop has yet to be identified, but it has links with Ottoman production of the period 1510 to 1540 in terms of its fabric and decoration. This suggests that the Safavid dishes may have been produced by Iranian potters who had moved to Turkey or that Ottoman potters were imitating earlier Safavid models. Islamic copies replaced highly prized 'antique' Chinese tablewares no longer in production in these designs.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Fritware, decorated in underglaze blue |
| Brief description | Dish, fritware, with a foliate rim, decorated in underglaze blue with stylized floral designs, Iran (perhaps Tabriz), 1500-1550. |
| Physical description | Fritware dish with a foliate rim, decorated in underglaze blue and white with floral designs.Central motif on interior is peony with single vine scroll exiting from bottom and curing around to attach to the surrounding eight-lobed motif on a cobalt background. Band of decoration around inside of bowl blue medallions alternating with blue floral sprays in imitation of the central motif, on a white background. Rim features stylized wave-and-spray pattern. The base has three spur marks and the base ring two later hanging holes. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Gallery label |
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| Historical context | |
| Production | Bought from Kubachi (Daghestan), Caucasus Kubachi Assemblage |
| Summary | The form and decoration of this dish is inspired by Chinese ceramics of the late Yuan and early 15th century. An interesting feature of the decoration is how the artist has encircled the flowerhead in the centre with a leafy stem which appears to issue from the rim of the eight-pointed star around it. Such decorative schemes rarely appear in Chinese porcelain, where the scrolls are usually continuous. There is a similar dish in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (EA1978.1484), which appears to have been made in the same workshop. This workshop has yet to be identified, but it has links with Ottoman production of the period 1510 to 1540 in terms of its fabric and decoration. This suggests that the Safavid dishes may have been produced by Iranian potters who had moved to Turkey or that Ottoman potters were imitating earlier Safavid models. Islamic copies replaced highly prized 'antique' Chinese tablewares no longer in production in these designs. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 562-1905 |
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| Record created | April 3, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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