Spandrel
ca. 1575 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This pair of wall tiles was made to frame a small niche in a wall. Niches were often used for storage, in place of furniture. They were also used for the display of objects suggesting refinement, such as a vase of flowers.
These tiles were made by potters in Iznik, in north-west Turkey. They have a white fritware body, which was a distinctive feature of Ottoman ceramics. From the 1550s, potters also used white fritware for wall tiles.
In the 16th century, the wealth of the Ottoman rulers was reflected in sumptuous decorative arts. Their bold designs rarely included human or animal figures. This feature was deliberately designed to distinguish them from decorative objects produced in Iran at this time.
These tiles were made by potters in Iznik, in north-west Turkey. They have a white fritware body, which was a distinctive feature of Ottoman ceramics. From the 1550s, potters also used white fritware for wall tiles.
In the 16th century, the wealth of the Ottoman rulers was reflected in sumptuous decorative arts. Their bold designs rarely included human or animal figures. This feature was deliberately designed to distinguish them from decorative objects produced in Iran at this time.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Fritware, polychrome underglaze painted, glazed |
| Brief description | Two tiles forming a decorative arch, Turkey (probably Iznik), about 1575. |
| Physical description | Pair of fritware spandrel tiles, painted under the glaze with floral motifs in red, blue, and green. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Purchased in Istanbul in 1897 from Mrs Alice Whitaker, daughter and heir of William Henry Wrench (1836-96). Wrench was British consul in the city when he died, and he had formed a significant collection of Ottoman and Iranian objects while in the consular service. For images of how Wrench displayed his collection in his home in the Pera (Beyoğlu) district of the city, see V&A: PH.331 to 334-1892. |
| Historical context | The imperial 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. From the 1590s, however, standards declined as court patronage receded. |
| Summary | This pair of wall tiles was made to frame a small niche in a wall. Niches were often used for storage, in place of furniture. They were also used for the display of objects suggesting refinement, such as a vase of flowers. These tiles were made by potters in Iznik, in north-west Turkey. They have a white fritware body, which was a distinctive feature of Ottoman ceramics. From the 1550s, potters also used white fritware for wall tiles. In the 16th century, the wealth of the Ottoman rulers was reflected in sumptuous decorative arts. Their bold designs rarely included human or animal figures. This feature was deliberately designed to distinguish them from decorative objects produced in Iran at this time. |
| Bibliographic reference | Tim Stanley (ed.), with Mariam Rosser-Owen and Stephen Vernoit, Palace and Mosque: Islamic Art from the Middle East, London, V&A Publications, 2004
p.71 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1879:1, 2-1897 |
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| Record created | June 11, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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