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Lot 194

An large Iznik "Fish Scale" pottery Jug
Turkey, circa 1575

29 April 2004, 10:30 BST
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £100,150 inc. premium

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An large Iznik "Fish Scale" pottery Jug
Turkey, circa 1575

with globular body and waisted neck with a torus moulding at the base, with "S"- shaped handle, decorated in raised red, green, blue and black outlines, the decoration divided into two zones consisting of reserved split leaf arabesques forming a trellis pattern against fish scale pattern, guilloche and cloud borders, the handle with a ladder design and solid band either side, a reserved palmette at the base
23.5 cm. high

Footnotes

Provenance:
Sir Alan Barlow Collection;
Sir Thomas Barlow Collection.

Published:
Geza Fehervari, Islamic Pottery: A Comprehensive study based on the Barlow Collection, London, 1973, no. 263, col. pl. N and pl. 106a.

This Jug is a superb example of Iznik wares with abstract designs that were produced during the reign of Sultan Murad III (1574-1595).

As well as fish-scale pattern, these include cintimani, "S"- clouds and arabesques (Nurhan Atasoy and Julian Raby, Iznik: The Pottery of Ottoman Turkey, London, 1989, p. 260).

Comparison can be drawn with a ewer in the British Museum, London, that also employs white arabesque leaves against a single colour ground (Atasoy/Raby, fig, 733).

Additional information