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Dish

1590-1600 (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, such as this design with a ewer.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Fritware, polychrome underglaze painted, glazed
Brief description
Dish with depiction of large red ewer, Turkey (Iznik), ca. 1590-1600.
Physical description
Plate with red patterned ewer in centre, surrounded by blue, red and green floral design. Main ground white. Border has Chinese wave-scroll motif on blue ground interspaced with curling leaves.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 33.0cm
  • Height: 7cm
Styles
Gallery label
(Jameel Gallery)
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).

6 Dish with Ewer
Turkey, probably Iznik
1590-1600
Fritware painted under the glaze
Museum no. C.2044-1910
Bequest of George Salting
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, such as this design with a ewer.
Bibliographic reference
Nurhan Atasoy and Julian Raby, Iznik: The Pottery of Ottoman Turkey (London: Alexandria Press, 1989), fig. 779.
Collection
Accession number
C.2044-1910

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Record createdJune 16, 2005
Record URL
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