Iznik Jug

Second half of 16th century Ottoman Turkey

Ceramic decorated with underglaze polychrome 19cm high, 15cm diameter

Provenance: Prominent European private collection, active 1940s and 1950s.

Ex-Adda Collection, published in Rackham, Bernard. Islamic Pottery and Italian Maiolica: Illustrated Catalogue of a Private Collection London: Faber and Faber, 1959, pp. 26, 186, plate 34.

Atasoy, Nurhan and Julian Raby. Iznik: The Pottery of Ottoman Turkey. 2nd ed. London: Alexandrian Press, 1989. pp. 114-15.

A vibrant Iznik jug of baluster form rests on a profiled foot. The jug has a slightly flaring mouth, nearly cylindrical neck and scrolled handle, decorated in tones of cobaltblue, turquoise and white. With a white base and cobalt blue outline and scrolled lines, the “S”-shaped handle ring connects to the jug from the rim to the shoulder. The jug is decorated in underglaze cobalt blue and turquoise, featuring cintamani motifs, pairs of white tulips and is punctuated by repeating medallions in turquoise with an arabesque design in cobalt. The jug is divided into three main sections, in terms of decoration – the stem, the body and the foot. The rim of the stem features an interlacing zigzag pattern with dark blue above and turquoise below. The stem and the body are separated by a white border decorated with diagonal strokes while the foot features a band of marbling in cobalt. Turquoise had entered the Iznik palette by the 1520s. The turquoise and cobalt-blue palette was used throughout the sixteenth century as can be observed in the present jug. The floral decoration of this jug is typical of Iznik ceramics. By the 1530s, small sprays of tulips and other recognisable flowers were a common motif on vessels made in Iznik in north-west Anatolia. The second half of the sixteenth century witnessed an increasing diversity in Iznik ceramic forms, combined with high artistic achievement. Jugs such as this were often painted with a rich repertoire of motifs on a crisp white ground, clear transparent glaze and vivid colours, creating a harmonious decorative scheme. However, our example seems to have followed the colour scheme from the earlier period, that of 1535-40.

A.S.

Comparative material:

British Museum (G.137, G.11, 1878,1230.514)

Victoria and Albert Museum (C.2006-1910) Musée du Louvre, Paris (AD 27735)