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Lot Essay
This dish fits into a group known as 'Damascus ware', which was produced in the 1540s and introduced manganese into the decorative repertoire of Iznik pottery. The group was initially classed as Syrian and attributed to Damascus on the evidence of tiles in the mosques of the city. However these 'Damascus wares' are now recognised as the productions of Iznik and indeed the potting and glaze quality of the production of Iznik is very different to those of Damascus.
The soft palette and cloud bands found around the rim of the present dish relate to those found on the famous mosque lamp, signed Musli, in the British Museum from the Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem. That carries a date of AH 956⁄1549 AD (1887.5-16.1). Although dated somewhat earlier than the present dish (circa 1520-30) another, formerly in the collection of Henri Pharaon, which is decorated with blue and white cloud bands shares with ours the same simplicity of arrangement in the open design (Art Islamique dans les Collections Privées Libanaises, exhibition catalogue, Beirut, 1974, p.27, no. 91). For further discussion on the ‘Damascus style’ of Iznik pottery, see lot 49 in the present sale.
The soft palette and cloud bands found around the rim of the present dish relate to those found on the famous mosque lamp, signed Musli, in the British Museum from the Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem. That carries a date of AH 956⁄1549 AD (1887.5-16.1). Although dated somewhat earlier than the present dish (circa 1520-30) another, formerly in the collection of Henri Pharaon, which is decorated with blue and white cloud bands shares with ours the same simplicity of arrangement in the open design (Art Islamique dans les Collections Privées Libanaises, exhibition catalogue, Beirut, 1974, p.27, no. 91). For further discussion on the ‘Damascus style’ of Iznik pottery, see lot 49 in the present sale.