OTTOMAN TURKEY, LATE 16TH CENTURY

This dish is an example of how foreign patterns influenced Iznik production towards the end of the 16th century. The Ottoman Sultans greatly admired Chinese porcelain and the ceramics collection in the Topkapi Palace was a source of inspiration for the contemporaneous Ottoman potters. The design on the rim of our dish is an adaptation of a pattern visible on a plate in the Topkapi Saray collection (inv.no. TKS 15/2012; Regina Krahl, Chinese ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, London, 1986, vol.2, p.623, cat.no. 897, ) which is dated to mid-16th century. The Chinese example is slightly smaller than ours (27cm) but has a very similar rim, decorated with floral scrolls interspersed with stylised auspicious emblems from the Chinese tradition. Both plates have a border of ruyi on stems and only the central medallion appears to be different. While the Chinese dish is decorated with a double peony among blue leaves, our example has a central rosette with petals and trilobed rosettes, a common design found on Iznik dishes of the last quarter of 16th century (N. Atasoy & J. Raby, Iznik, 1989, London, p.243, Victoria & Albert Museum, inv.no. 715-1893).