Lot 43
43
AN IZNIK POTTERY DISH
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VA… Read more Claude Marie David Misillier A lapidary from the Jura, in 1847 Misillier purchased the Chateau Ferney-Voltaire which had originally been built for Voltaire himself between 1758 and 1766. He restored the rooms and decorated them with original art works from Voltaire's time. The chateau itself was passed down through the David family who added to the contents until its acquisition by the French nation in 1998.
AN IZNIK POTTERY DISH

OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1570

Details
AN IZNIK POTTERY DISH
OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1570
With cusped sloping rim on short foot, the white interior painted in green, blue, red and black, the slender central cypress tree issuing two small tulips, within bold floral spray of red carnations radiating from central red spot at the base of the tree, the tree flanked by an asymmetric pair of carnations, with other small flowers around its base, the border with blue and green stylized wave and rock, the exterior with alternating blue and green paired tulips and flowerheads, foot drilled, a few repaired breaks
11¾in. (29.6cm.) diam
Provenance
Claude Marie David Misillier, Chateau de Ferney-Voltaire, Jura, thence by descent until 1998.
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

This dish draws its power from the fact that the entire design is formed of brilliant red carnations. One other dish is known with a comparable design, now in the Musée de la Renaissance, Ecouen (Nurhan Atasoy and Julian Raby: Iznik, The Pottery of Ottoman Turkey, London, 1989, pl.694; Walter Denny: Iznik, The Artistry of Ottoman Ceramics, London, 2004, pp.178-9). The two are very close indeed, even to the extent of the small flowers flanking the base. The one difference is that in the Ecouen example the cypress tree is flanked by six small flowers similar to the two at the base, while here even that role is still reserved for red carnations, giving a stronger focus to the centre of the design. It seems probable that the same artist worked on both.

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