Bowl
ca. 1510 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The large hemispherical basins from Iznik are among the finest examples of Islamic pottery. They are admired for their monumental size, accomplished potting and well-planned decoration. This relatively early basin has a lower foot and its colour scheme is restricted to blue-and-white. The outside is decorated with large-scale Chinese clouds and leafy scrolls. The interior is organised around a six-pointed knotwork design.
The small town of Iznik in north-west Anatolia has given its name to some of the most accomplished ceramics produced in the Islamic Middle East. In the mid 15th century, potters there specialised in modest earthenware imitations of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain. But in the 1460s or 1470s, under the patronage of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, they began to manufacture bowls, dishes and other pieces of fritware that were elegant in shape and decoration. These wares were often very large.
The small town of Iznik in north-west Anatolia has given its name to some of the most accomplished ceramics produced in the Islamic Middle East. In the mid 15th century, potters there specialised in modest earthenware imitations of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain. But in the 1460s or 1470s, under the patronage of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, they began to manufacture bowls, dishes and other pieces of fritware that were elegant in shape and decoration. These wares were often very large.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Fritware, underglaze painted in cobalt blue, glazed |
| Brief description | Blue-and-white basin, Turkey (probably Iznik), ca. 1510. |
| Physical description | Footed bowl, fritware with polychrome underglaze painting, copying a metal prototype with the blue and white colour scheme of Chinese porcelain but with entirely Islamic motifs. The outside is decorated with Chinese clouds and leafy scrolls on a large scale; the interior is organised around a six-pointed knotwork design. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Salting Bequest |
| Historical context | The ceramic industry at Iznik was founded under Ottoman imperial patronage, during a Golden Age of the arts under Sultan Mehmed II (1451-81). The impetus for the Ottoman ceramics industry was the taste for imported Chinese blue-and-white porcelains. Several of the decorative features of this bowl – such as the knots and cloud collars on the interior – demonstrate the influence of Chinese design. This is an early piece, made before the introduction of turquoise to the Iznik palette in the 1520s. Its profile is also different from some other footed bowls, suggesting the shape had not yet been standardised. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The large hemispherical basins from Iznik are among the finest examples of Islamic pottery. They are admired for their monumental size, accomplished potting and well-planned decoration. This relatively early basin has a lower foot and its colour scheme is restricted to blue-and-white. The outside is decorated with large-scale Chinese clouds and leafy scrolls. The interior is organised around a six-pointed knotwork design. The small town of Iznik in north-west Anatolia has given its name to some of the most accomplished ceramics produced in the Islamic Middle East. In the mid 15th century, potters there specialised in modest earthenware imitations of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain. But in the 1460s or 1470s, under the patronage of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, they began to manufacture bowls, dishes and other pieces of fritware that were elegant in shape and decoration. These wares were often very large. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.1981-1910 |
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| Record created | November 18, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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