An Iznik polychrome pottery dish, Turkey, circa 1575
Estimate
50,000 - 70,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
of shallow rounded form with slightly everted rim, painted in underglaze cobalt-blue, green and bole-red, outlined in black, decorated with a cypress tree flanked by floral stems, the rim with wave and scroll motif, the reverse plain, old collection label to foot
31.5cm. diam.
Ex-collection Sir Alan Barlow (1881-1968), London and Oxford;
Thence by descent
G. Fehérvári, Islamic Pottery. A Comprehensive Study based on the Barlow Collection, London, 1973, no.209, colour plate L
The use of the cypress tree in Iznik pottery, alluding to the bountiful gardens of paradise, was particularly sought after from the 1560s, often situated at the centre of the dish providing a vertical axis. The device could be used the stress symmetry within the composition, as is the case here. The fluid drawing that is so characteristic of Iznik pottery nonetheless prevents the design from feeling static, as does the subtle variations in the placements of the motifs on each side of the composition. The scale of the surrounding flowerheads is particularly powerful in this dish. Further examples of Iznik dishes with cypress designs include two dishes sold in these rooms, 30 April 2025, lot 661, and 23 October 2024, lot 164.
You May Also Like
