KUTAHYA, TURKEY, LATE 19TH CENTURY

Kutahya tiles of the late 19th and early 20th century often took their inspiration from Iznik pottery. Other examples with motifs directly based on Iznik are in the Suna and Inan Kiraç Collection (Sebnem Akalin and Hülya Yilmaz Bilgi, Delights of Kütahya. Kütahya Tiles and Pottery in the Suna and Inan Kiraç Collection, Istanbul, 1997, p.126, nos.162 and 163). Originally the present design appears to come from a group of tiles used for the mihrab panel of the Piyale Pasha mosque, Istanbul (Raby, Raby, Julian: "Diyarbakir: A Rival to Iznik", Deutsches Archäologisches Institut Abteilung, Istanbul, Istanbuler Mitteilungen, vol.27/28, Tübingen, 1977/78, pl.159.3). Most tiles of this design however appear to be from the South Eastern Anatolian city of Diyarbakir, Some are in the remains of the Armenian church of Surp Sargis in Diyarbakir (Raby, op.cit., pl.159.2) and two others are noted in the Victoria and Albert Museum (Raby, op.cit., p.457, item 6). Another panel dated 1600 sold at Christie's, London, 29 April 2003.