Dish
Iznik, Turkey; Ottoman, c. 1585-90
Ceramic
H.5 cm; Diam. 34.3cm
This dish illustrates the virtuosity of the Iznik ceramists who, in the middle of the 16th century, perfected a red of unequaled brilliance. This color was particularly difficult to obtain and, together with the adoption of the emblematic motifs of the so-called classic period, allowed these pieces to stand out from the Chinese and Iranian blue and white, the aesthetics of which had hitherto dominated production.