A BLUE AND WHITE POTTERY BOTTLE
Iran, 18th - 19th century

Of large drop-like shape imitating Chinese blue and white wares, resting on a short circular foot, rising to slender shoulders and a tapering neck with a small flaring mouth, the exterior painted in cobalt blue against a white ground, featuring overlapping horizontal bands of meandering lotus sprays, reserved floral designs around lotus medallions, stylised wave motifs, rectangular panels with cusped palmettes around the shoulders, and pointy leaf motifs around the neck, 32.5cm high.

Provenance: Roseberys, 22 October 2020, lot 185;

Christie's London, 25 April 2013, lot 95.

This lot has been previously identified as a Timurid blue and white bottle. However, the dark crackling of the glaze around the base, the excessive stylisation of Chinese-inspired motifs, and the pointy foliage design around the neck point towards a much later dating, as showcased by analogous examples in the late Safavid and early Qajar blue and white pottery production.