Name of Object:Dish (tondino) Location:London, England, United Kingdom Holding Museum:Victoria and Albert Museum About Victoria and Albert Museum, London Date of Object:About hegira 941–951 / AD 1535–45 Museum Inventory Number:C.2011–1910 Material(s) / Technique(s):Painted and glazed ceramic. Dimensions:Height 4.9 cm, diameter 26.6 cm Period / Dynasty:Ottoman Provenance:Iznik, Turkey. Description:A dish in the Italianate form known as tondino, with a narrow, deep well and a wide rim, decorated in two shades of blue on a white ground. The centre of the bowl features a medallion with a 'bouquet' of five flowers growing from a small mound. This pattern is repeated around the rim, in round spaces created by triangle-like indentations in dark blue; these spaces are linked by six-pointed stars at their intersections. Although the bouquet pattern is repeated, a close look reveals that no stencil was used – the artist drew the pattern freehand each time. This dish is one of a group of wares thought to represent a point in the history of Iznik pottery when the potters themselves, rather than painters, took over the decoration of the ceramics. This may have been a reaction to falling demand from the Ottoman court; by applying the designs themselves, the potters could lower the prices of the objects, and thus sell them to a broader market. The result of this change of approach was a simpler, more spontaneous style than the studied and meticulous designs found on previous Iznik wares. While the 'Potters'' style did not last long, giving way during the decade AH 950 / AD 1540 to the nascent classical Iznik aesthetic of brilliant polychrome floral designs, it does represent an important moment in the history of Ottoman ceramics. View Short DescriptionA dish in the Italianate form known as tondino, with decoration based on a repeating pattern of a bouquet of five flowers. This dish is one of a group of wares thought to represent a time when the potters themselves, rather than painters, took over the decoration of Iznik ceramics. How date and origin were established:Stylistic comparison (see description). How Object was obtained:Bequest of George Salting in 1910. How provenance was established:Iznik was the centre of quality ceramic production in this period. Selected bibliography:Atasoy, N., and Raby, J., Iznik: The Pottery of Ottoman Turkey, Istanbul/London, 1989, p.118, fig. 154. Citation of this web page:Barry Wood "Dish (tondino)" in Discover Islamic Art, Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;uk;Mus02;48;en Prepared by: Barry Wood
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