Near East, Syria, Damascus, Ottoman Empire, ca. 16th century CE. A beautiful example of a glazed ceramic tile presenting foliage motifs arranged in an arabesque formation. The color scheme is quite striking, comprised of cobalt blue, black, and white, with a border in white followed by forest green and finally white again. It is contemporaneous with a very refined form of ceramics that developed under the Ottoman Empire produced in the town called Iznik, south of Istanbul - created with a white frit body and a vibrant color palette. Size: 8.25" L x 8.125" W (21 cm x 20.6 cm); 9" L x 9" W (22.9 cm x 22.9 cm) including plaster matrix and wooden frame
See a Damascus tile in the Art Institute of Chicago collection (https://www.artic.edu/artworks/86358/tile). The curatorial team discussed its history as follows, "These wares were produced in Damascus in the mid-16th century after the Ottoman sultan, Suleyman the Magnificent, sent Iznik potters to repair and restore tilework at the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. After refurbishing the tilework, these artisans settled in Damascus, where they continued to produce tiles and vessels."
Provenance: private New Jersey, USA collection
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#143381
Condition
Minor losses to peripheries of tile. Some visible fissures and surface losses in areas as shown. Set in a plaster matrix and wooden frame.