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Lot Essay
The Caucasian city of Kubachi gave its name to a large group of Persian pottery where many of this 16th and 17th century pieces were found decorating houses. Kirkor Minassian, to whom the majority of these pieces belonged, was the first modern traveller to visit Kubachi and it is probable that we owe him the erroneous appellation. They have since been reattributed to Tabriz where they were produced in the 16th and early 17th century. The potteries at Tabriz were probably set up by craftsmen from Samarqand during the 15th century and lasted into the 16th century and only declined when the Safavid capital was moved to Qazvin and finally to Isfahan in 1598. In addition, the city was sacked by the Ottoman in 1514 and Tabriz continued to remain vulnerable to attacks, allowing other centers such as Kirman and Mashhad to establish pre-eminence.
Chinese porcelains were held in high esteem in the courts of the fifteenth century and the present piece belongs to a group that closely follows Chinese examples; the spiral border on the rim is reminiscent of the Chinese rock and wave motifs. A relatively similar dish, with identical borders and shape, is in the As Sabah Collection (Oliver Watson, Ceramics from Islamic Lands, London, 2004, cat.U.7, p.455.)
Chinese porcelains were held in high esteem in the courts of the fifteenth century and the present piece belongs to a group that closely follows Chinese examples; the spiral border on the rim is reminiscent of the Chinese rock and wave motifs. A relatively similar dish, with identical borders and shape, is in the As Sabah Collection (Oliver Watson, Ceramics from Islamic Lands, London, 2004, cat.U.7, p.455.)