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Lot Essay
The use of the elegant fish scale pattern which covers the ground of this jug is first found decorating an example in the form of a fish in the Benaki Museum, Athens, which dates to the 1520's (inv.no.10, Nurhan Atasoy and Julian Raby, Iznik, the Pottery of Ottoman Turkey, London, 1989, no.451, pl.124, p.106). The scale pattern was probably inspired by early 16th century Deruta majolica although its use can be seen in Islamic art on a 15th century twin dragon headed candlestick from Khorassan in the David Collection (Kjeld von Folsach, Islamic Art, Copenhagen, 1990, no.346, p.207). In the late 1570s and 80s it became popular to enliven the background of vessels with fishscale motif, as seen here.
The practice of separating panels of fishscale with arabesque or saz leaves, as on our jug, also became popular. The technique can be seen on a water bottle in the British Museum dating to 1580-85 (inv.no.G.1983.83, Atasoy and Raby, op.cit., p.l.745). As on our jug, the leaves which interrupt the fish scale there are made up of a series of elegant and interlocking palmettes, an attestation to the inventiveness of the potters of Iznik.
When it first appeared at Sotheby's, it was suggested that the restoration to the neck of this jug was added in France by the Samson factory, who is known to have produce Iznik revival vessels.
The practice of separating panels of fishscale with arabesque or saz leaves, as on our jug, also became popular. The technique can be seen on a water bottle in the British Museum dating to 1580-85 (inv.no.G.1983.83, Atasoy and Raby, op.cit., p.l.745). As on our jug, the leaves which interrupt the fish scale there are made up of a series of elegant and interlocking palmettes, an attestation to the inventiveness of the potters of Iznik.
When it first appeared at Sotheby's, it was suggested that the restoration to the neck of this jug was added in France by the Samson factory, who is known to have produce Iznik revival vessels.