An Iznik Polychrome tile, Turkey, circa 1560

of rectangular form, decorated in viridian green and relief red, outlined in black, the large central eight-pointed palmette with inner rosette, on an underglaze cobalt blue background 

This item is in good condition. Minor losses to the corners and edges, especially to the centre-left, top centre-left and bottom right. Minor spots and very light scratches throughout. Very minor losses to the areas in relief. Markings on the reverse. 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.
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Panels of bold calligraphy formed an integral part of the glorious Iznik decoration of the major monuments of the Ottoman Empire in the second half of the sixteenth-century. The Iznik panels would have complemented painted calligraphic decoration, but much of this has now been lost. In the mosques of the great sixteenth-century architect, Sinan, almost all of the painted decoration has been restored or entirely rewritten (Goodwin 1993, p.99). Thankfully, the tiles remain and provide an idea of how the original decoration might have looked.

To ensure the beauty of the calligraphy in these monuments, the finest court calligraphers were employed to devise and implement the inscriptions. For instance, Hasan b. Ahmed Karahisari, the pupil and adopted son of the great calligrapher Ahmed Karahisari, worked on some of the inscriptions in the Süleymaniye Mosque and executed those in the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne (Atil 1987, p.52).

The influence of these court calligraphers was naturally transferred to the decoration of the Iznik calligraphic panels, predominantly in white script on a cobalt-blue ground. One of Sinan's masterpieces, the mosque of Sokullu Mehmet Pasha of c.1572, was built around the same time as the present tile was produced. The calligraphy on the Iznik tile decoration of this mosque perfectly illustrates the strength of this tradition and, notably in the panels above the door in the porch and in the interior, shows how composite floral motifs, very much like the one on this tile, appeared at the end of a phrase as verse dividers (Denny 2002, pp.102-3, 106 and 107). Returning to the work of Hasan b. Ahmed Karahisari , one can see the source of this form of verse divider in the composite floral motifs used to embellish the great calligrapher's work, such as a serlevha in a book of prayers of 1566/1567 in the Topkapi Saray Museum (Atil 1987, p.53).