A fine fritware tile of square form, with a repeating pattern made of ogival medallions filled with tulips and carnations painted in cobalt-blue, green and bold red over a white slip and covered with a transparent glaze.

The balanced design of this tile would have been combined with other tiles with the same pattern, obtaining a wall full flower sprays contained within almond-shaped frames. The flowers are delicately painted and the technique is so refined, that the colours are all withing the planned design, not running out. Identical tiles, with same arrange of flowers are now in several museums. The popularity of the pattern can be seen in similar tiles which have a similar design which differs in colour or type of flowers depicted.

Ottoman Turkey
Iznik
Second half 16th century

Height 24.5cm
Width 21.5cm

1. Victoria & Albert Museum, London, inv.no.1880-1897; Musée du Louvre, Paris, inv.nos.OA 2733, OA 3919/302 and AD8368/1; British Museum, London, inv.no.G.135.

2. See for example Victoria & Albert Museum, London, inv.no.405A-1900, with carnations or hyacinths; or The Musée du Louvre, inv.nos.AD 5976 and OA 2722, both with the flowers against a blue ground.