Iznik "Golden Horn" Plate

This vessel dates to the 16th century, when artisans in Ottoman Turkey, working primarily in the city of Iznik, attained new levels of technical and aesthetic achievement in the long Islamic tradition of ceramic production. Characteristic features of Iznik wares include a hard, white body, crystal-clear glaze, a wide range of brilliant colors, and an elegant painting style.

Ottoman ceramic artists took much of their inspiration from nature and created designs incorporating both recognizable plants, flowers, and trees and stylized leaves. Chinese blue-and-white porcelains also served as models, as on this plate decorated with delicate spirals in the "Golden Horn" type.

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.

Dikran Kelekian, New York and Paris [date and mode of acquisition unknown]. Walters Art Museum, 1966, by purchase.