Iznik Bowl

From The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide, 1983.

Click to enlarge.

33 Dish
Turkish, Iznik, Ottoman period, ca. 1535-45
Composite body, slip- and stain-painted; diam. 151/2 in. (39.4 cm)

The elements found in this unique piece of blue-and-white Iznik ware were inspired by both Chinese blue-and-white porcelain and celadon. The shape, a rimless dish with curved sides, and the patterns, particularly the interior square grid and the exterior leaf scroll, have been com-pared to Chinese models. The square grid, however, is an Islamic geometric pattern first found in an eleventh-century tomb tower in Iran and later all over the Islamic world. The color scheme, the technical composition of the body, and the clear white ground and brilliant glaze show the skills of the Iznik potters. Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913, 14.10.727