Publication Date
Circa 856/1480
Publication Place
-
Victoria and Albert Museum
Subject
Colored and glazed ceramics.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع: 24.5 سم؛ القطر: 23.5 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
C.57–1952
Record ID
object;ISL;uk;Mus02;40;ar
Library Location
Victoria and Albert Museum
Date
Circa 856/1480
Notes
A bulbous jar on a semi-symmetrical base with a short neck that curves outward at the rim. The body of the jar is decorated with three blue and white colored bands under the glaze. The middle strip, which is the widest, includes a relief pattern of arabesques in white and blue, while the two narrower strips above and below it include floral decorations inspired by Chinese art in blue on a white background. The neck and base are decorated with narrower bands including interlaced bands and small circular shapes, and around the neck there is unadorned molding. The jar is a striking example of the many influences of artists in early Iznik ceramics, its body taken from Chinese figures, and the blue aesthetic on a white ground drawn from Chinese influences, all of which were popular in the Middle East during the 9th / 15th century. The peony flower patterns are also of Chinese origin. On the other hand, the influence of Ottoman metal pieces, especially silver ones, is clear, and appears in details such as the molding and arabesques that fill the central part. The use of this type of arabesque goes back to the style of decoration that originated in the Ottoman royal copy rooms. It may have been the creation of a single artist whom the sources refer to as “Baba Naqqash.” The designs on paper, which are associated with the name Baba Naqqash, show a traditional Islamic model of arabesque mixed with Chinese elements to form a new and distinctive Ottoman style. Since the decorations clearly reflect this development, researchers have given the jar and other early Iznik ceramic pieces, which were called Abraham Al-Kuthi ceramics, after a distinctive jug in the British Museum, the name Baba Naqash ceramics.
Sample Text
Barry Wood "Jar" in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;uk;Mus02;40;ar
