A large and rare polychrome Iznik tile, Turkey, 1550-1560

of square form decorated over a lavendar blue ground in green, red, cobalt blue and white, outlined in black with large cloudbands intercepting scrolling tendrils issuing flowerheads, lotus palmettes and saz rosettes, palmette motif lower right enclosed by two split-palmettes

cracks and losses top lefthand corner and middle left with associated repair visible in catalogue illustration, cracquelure to glaze, colours bright and clear, framed, as viewed
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This rare lavendar blue ground tile is almost identical in decoration and technique to a tile from the Adda Collection, illustrated in B. Rackham, Islamic Pottery and Italian Maiolica, 1959, no.223, pl.96A.  It is likely that the present tile comes from the same unidentified building as the ex. Adda Collection example.

There are a small number of objects from this rare blue slip group that include a tankard in the Victoria and Albert Museum (see Lane 1957, fig.45A), a jug in the David Collection, Copenhagen (von Folsach 2001, fig.281&282) and the Sadberk Hanim Museum, Istanbul (see Bilgi 2005, no.15) and a dish in the British Museum (see Carswell 1998, no.68, p.88). Jean Soustiel explains the technique in La Céramique Islamique, 1985, p.334. Atasoy and Raby identify the use of the soft lavendar slip as a short lived phase that pre-dated the red slip that continued from 1575 (see Atasoy and Raby 1989, no.682).