OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1540

This is an early variant of a design which was hugely popular in the Ottoman lands throughout the sixteenth century. The elements of the central design, with its counterpoint of palmettes alternating with split palmettes can be found on tiles from the beginning of the century, such as the cuerda seca example offered in lot 319. Lot 320 shows the same design dating from the third quarter of the sixteenth century, using the same colours as here, but with the design expanded to fill the tile, rather than enclosed within the roundel seen here and with the typically shinier glaze of the second half of the century.

The drawing on this tile is very good indeed, indicating the active involvement of the nakkashhane (royal design workshops) in the production of tiles at this time.