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Lot Essay
David Ohannessian (1884–1953), founder of Jerusalem’s Armenian ceramic tradition, was trained in the renowned Kutahya school of Ottoman ceramics, which was celebrated for its vibrant Iznik-style tiles. In 1907, he opened his own workshop in Kutahya, and by 1911, gained international recognition when commissioned by Lord Sykes to create tile revetments for Sledmere House in Yorkshire. The tiles in this panel closely resemble those found in the Turkish Room of the estate. Similar ones have also sold at Bonhams London April 2011, lots 188 and 190.
Ohannessian specialised in large tiled wall panels, which required meticulous planning and modular design. Each tile was numbered and mapped before installation to ensure seamless pattern continuity across architectural surfaces. This precision was achieved using hand-cut stencils of his signature floral motifs of tulips, carnations, and other stylised blooms.
His distinctive palette of turquoise, cobalt blue, and emerald green was created through glaze recipes he developed himself, using a double firing technique to fuse colour and design. These projects relied on locally sourced clays and minerals from Anatolia, essential to the traditional Ottoman ceramic aesthetic. After being falsely accused of revolutionary activity during the Armenian Genocide in 1915, Ohannessian was exiled and eventually relocated to Jerusalem. During his time here, Sykes commissioned him to replicate the broken and missing tiles on the Dome of the Rock. Although this project was cut short in 1922, Ohanessian was successful in training a new generation of Armenian artisans, ensuring the survival and evolution of the craft.
For Ohannessian, ceramics were more than decoration – they were a form of cultural resilience. His work reflects a deep commitment to heritage, adaptation, and spiritual continuity, bridging Ottoman traditions with the architectural identity of Jerusalem. This has been celebrated in a biography of his life, Feast of Ashes: The Life and Art of David Ohannessian, written by granddaughter (Sato Moughalian, Stanford, 2019).
Ohannessian specialised in large tiled wall panels, which required meticulous planning and modular design. Each tile was numbered and mapped before installation to ensure seamless pattern continuity across architectural surfaces. This precision was achieved using hand-cut stencils of his signature floral motifs of tulips, carnations, and other stylised blooms.
His distinctive palette of turquoise, cobalt blue, and emerald green was created through glaze recipes he developed himself, using a double firing technique to fuse colour and design. These projects relied on locally sourced clays and minerals from Anatolia, essential to the traditional Ottoman ceramic aesthetic. After being falsely accused of revolutionary activity during the Armenian Genocide in 1915, Ohannessian was exiled and eventually relocated to Jerusalem. During his time here, Sykes commissioned him to replicate the broken and missing tiles on the Dome of the Rock. Although this project was cut short in 1922, Ohanessian was successful in training a new generation of Armenian artisans, ensuring the survival and evolution of the craft.
For Ohannessian, ceramics were more than decoration – they were a form of cultural resilience. His work reflects a deep commitment to heritage, adaptation, and spiritual continuity, bridging Ottoman traditions with the architectural identity of Jerusalem. This has been celebrated in a biography of his life, Feast of Ashes: The Life and Art of David Ohannessian, written by granddaughter (Sato Moughalian, Stanford, 2019).