Explore over one thousand years of development in Islamic ceramics through our extensive collection.
This dish is a good example of the cross-cultural exchange that occurred between Europe and the Islamic world during the early modern period. Dishes in this shape - known as tondino have a broad, flat rim and small, bowl-shaped center, and were a popular form in 16th century Italian maiolica production. The decorative style on this dish, however, is typical of Ottoman ornamentation from the first half of the 16th century. Characterized by leafy spirals painted in cobalt blue, this style is known as ‘Golden Horn’, a reference to numerous fragments with similar patterns found on the southern shore of the Golden Horn, the inlet dividing Istanbul.
Allan, James W., Islamic Ceramics, Ashmolean-Christie's Handbooks (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 1991), no. 43 on p. 68, illus. p. 69
Atasoy, Nurhan, and Julian Raby, Iznik: The Pottery of Ottoman Turkey, ed. Yanni Petsopoulos (London: Alexandria Press in association with Laurence King, 1994), no. 329, fig. 329
fritware, underglaze painting
Ceramic material composed of ground quartz and small quantities of clay and finely ground frit (frit is obtained by pouring molten glass into water).
Painting applied to ceramic material before a transparent, or monochrome or coloured glaze for Islamic objects, is applied. The technique was initially developed in China.
Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.
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