A rare Iznik 'Damascus' style pottery dish, Turkey, circa 1540

of rounded form with flattened, everted rim, painted in cobalt blue, sage green and light manganese purple outlined in black with a design with a large carnation, rosette stems, and hyacinths issuing from a leafy tuft, the rim with groups of buds alternating with one cintamani motif, the underside with three-budded motif between triple spots

ex-Adda Collection

B. Rackham, Islamic Pottery and Italian Maiolica in a Private Collection, London, 1959. 

Broken and restored with associated overpainting, areas of discoloration - notably visible to underside, 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."

Traditionally referred to as ‘Damascus Style’, this dish belongs to a small group of similar ceramics featuring a palette of sage or olive green, cobalt blue, and pastel pink colours with black outlines with a dominant floral design. Arthur Lane, the esteemed ceramics scholar, considers these vessels, painted between about 1540 and 1555, as “the finest ever made at Iznik” (Lane 1971, p.53). They are also amongst the rarest. This experimental phase of production lasting for a relatively short period until the introduction of bole red in the late 1550s.

This dish is characterised by its floral composition, comprising stems of hyacinths, rosettes and a large composite lotus blossom, with a rim of foliate buds between a single cintamani-motif. The central composition finds parallels in dishes now preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, inv. nos. C.1896-1910 and C.1982-1910, featuring sprays of flowers, attributed to circa 1550. For a form of this design on a tankard with the similar motifs arranged according to the object’s cylindrical shape, see Ribeiro 1996, pp.150-1, no.33, from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Museum, Lisbon, inv. no.834.

A slightly later dish of similar design is in the Musée National de la Renaissance – Chateau d’Ecouen, in. no. E.Ci.8503 (DS2207), showing the continued popularity of this design and floral choice, including that of the composite lotus flower (Hitzel and Jacotin 2005, pp.172-3, no.212). Whereas the rim design can be seen on a dish (dated between 1555-60) in the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Museum, Lisbon, inv. no.801, and a similar style on the rim of a dish in the British Museum (dated between 1550-60), inv.no.G.1983-24.

A related example was sold in these rooms, 3 October, 2012, lot 268. For further information on the ‘Damascus style’ of Iznik pottery – see Atasoy and Raby 1989, pp.129-144.