Description:

 AN IZNIK POTTERY DISH, OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1575
Iznik, Ottoman Empire, third quarter of the 16th century

Description:
A beautifully proportioned dish with a gently sloping rim and deep cavetto, painted in underglaze cobalt blue and turquoise on a white fritware body. The central field is adorned with a large composite rosette flanked by stylised saz leaves and spiralling floral vines, all arranged symmetrically and radiating with rhythmic energy. The border features a classic "breaking wave" or çintamani-inspired motif, a hallmark of Iznik designs from this mature period.

The glaze is lustrous and well-preserved, with strong colour saturation and minimal wear, indicating the dish may have served a primarily decorative purpose. The craftsmanship and harmony of design elements mark this as a high-quality piece from the height of Iznik ceramic production.

Diameter: 29cm

Provenance:
From a Single-Owner Collection (Lots 100–109)

Comparable examples:

  • A dish with similar saz leaf and rosette pattern, circa 1575, sold at Sotheby’s, London, Arts of the Islamic World, 25 October 2017, Lot 160, for £93,750.

  • A cobalt and turquoise Iznik dish with wave border, circa 1570, sold at Christie’s, London, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 27 April 2023, Lot 53, for £85,000.

  • A related floral-patterned Iznik dish, circa 1575, from the Harvey B. Plotnick Collection, sold at Bonhams, London, Islamic and Indian Art, 8 April 2008, Lot 120, for £76,250.

Note:
Iznik dishes from the 1570s are widely regarded as exemplars of Ottoman ceramic artistry. Their strong graphic clarity, balanced composition, and refined use of colour made them prized across the empire and in European courts. This dish is an outstanding example of the period’s decorative sophistication and technical precision.

 

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
London, United Kingdom

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