Description:

AN IZNIK POTTERY DISH, OTTOMAN TURKEY, CIRCA 1585
Iznik, Ottoman Empire, late 16th century

Description:
A finely potted dish with a wide, gently sloping rim and deep cavetto, decorated in underglaze cobalt blue, emerald green, and bole red on a white fritware body. The central field features a dynamic floral composition, with tulips, carnations, and hyacinths emerging from a leafy tuft at the base. The design is intricately balanced and accented with vibrant red highlights, showcasing the confident use of bole red—a hallmark of Iznik pottery in the 1580s.

The rim is encircled with a stylised hatayi floral scroll, and the reverse is adorned with cobalt-blue leafy tendrils. The dish is coated in a clear, glossy glaze that enhances the vibrancy of the colours and preserves the fine detail of the brushwork.

Diameter: 31cm

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

Comparable examples:

  • A dish with similar floral spray and colour palette, circa 1585, sold at Christie’s, London, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 27 April 2023, Lot 51, for £95,000.

  • An Iznik dish with tulips and bole red carnations, dated circa 1580–85, sold at Sotheby’s, London, Arts of the Islamic World, 25 October 2017, Lot 142, for £87,500.

  • A related polychrome Iznik dish with floral bouquet, late 1580s, sold at Bonhams, London, Islamic and Indian Art, 23 October 2018, Lot 96, for £82,500.

Note:
By the 1580s, Iznik potters had fully mastered the use of bole red, enabling increasingly vibrant and layered compositions. This dish represents a peak moment in Ottoman ceramic production, combining artistic elegance with technical innovation. Such pieces were highly valued in both domestic and diplomatic contexts, and they continue to be among the most sought-after forms of Islamic ceramic art today.

 

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

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£100 £199 £10
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£500 £999 £50
£1,000 £1,999 £100
£2,000 £4,999 £200
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£10,000 £19,999 £1,000
£20,000 £49,999 £2,000
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£100,000 £199,999 £10,000
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£500,000 £999,999 £50,000
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