OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1590

At the time that Iznik was being produced, the Ottoman Empire was a strong maritime power encompassing the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and the Black Sea and dominating much of the Mediterranean until the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. The empire’s naval fleet and numerous merchant ships which became a popular subject for the potters of Iznik (Inv.OA 7880/82; Istanbul, Isfahan, Delhi. 3 Capitals of Islamic Art. Masterpieces from the Louvre Collection Istanbul, 2008, pp.142-143, no.39). A closely related dish is in the Sadberk Hanim Museum (Inv.n.12240-P.506; Reunited after Centuries, exhibition catalogue, Istanbul, 2005, pp.88-89, no.34). Another was sold in these Rooms, 6 October 2009, lot 212.