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Lot Essay
The colours employed for the inscription cartouche with its cobalt-blue ground and bold white script aptly make a reference to the heavens. The scrolling tulips and carnations borders of our tile are closely comparable to the borders of a rectangular tile, similarly dated to the second half of the 16th century, in the British Museum in London (OA G.1983.85; illus. Porter, 1995, front cover). The split palmettes on bole red ground in the cusped medallion to the left of the inscription on our tile are similar to the decoration in the spandrels of another Iznik calligraphic tile which sold at Christie’s, South Kensington, 26 April 2013, lot 786.
Two large calligraphic tiles with similar large white thuluth inscriptions on blue ground are in the Ömer Koç collection (see Bilgi, 2015, no.64, pp.196-197). For other comparable calligraphic tiles which have sold at auction, see Sotheby’s, London, 1 May 2019, lots 228, 227; Christie’s, London, 27 April 2004, lot 337.
Two large calligraphic tiles with similar large white thuluth inscriptions on blue ground are in the Ömer Koç collection (see Bilgi, 2015, no.64, pp.196-197). For other comparable calligraphic tiles which have sold at auction, see Sotheby’s, London, 1 May 2019, lots 228, 227; Christie’s, London, 27 April 2004, lot 337.