AN IZNIK POTTERY JUG WITH POMEGRANATES AND ÇINTAMANI MOTIFS
Ottoman Turkey, ca. 1570 - 1600

Of baluster-like shape, resting on a short circular foot, rising to a restored cylindrical neck with a slightly everted rim, the protruding knob on the side of the body indicating the terminal of a once-present curved handle, painted under a clear glossy glaze in cobalt blue, bole red, turquoise with black outlines against a milky white ground, the spherical body decorated with stylised cobalt blue pomegranates in-filled with red çintamani motifs, interspersed amidst scrolling floral stems of blue rosettes and red tulips, the base and waist embellished with simple black fretwork bands, the unrestored portion of the neck repeating the same decorative arrangement of the body, 20cm high.

This jug presents a charming combination of form and motifs typically attributed to the Iznik pottery production of the second half of the 16th century. In the Sadberk Hanim Museum, an Iznik jug dated 1590 - 1600 showcases the same shape and pattern of blue pomegranates in-filled with red çintamani motifs featured in our example (Hülya Bilgi, Dance of Fire: Iznik Tiles and Ceramics in the Sadberk Hanım Museum and Ömer M. Koç Collections, 2009, p. 283, cat. 167, inv. no. SHM 9056-P.290). The pomegranates in our lot are surrounded by scrolling floral stems of rosettes and tulips, whilst in the SHM example, one can admire pairs of tulips arranged in staggered rows, interspersed with more red triple dots clusters. Around the waist, both vessels feature a narrow cobalt blue-painted scalloped collar; and the black fretwork band on each base is also analogous, displaying a stylised variation of the letter 'S' pattern. Two further examples matching our lot in terms of shape and featuring similar pomegranate and çintamani motifs are illustrated in the above-mentioned publication on pages 285 (cat. 169) and 286 (cat. 170). Lastly, the combination of triple red dots clusters, blue pomegranates, and blue rosettes can also be admired in one of the Iznik jugs in the Aga Khan collection (AKM879), dated 1560 - 1575, testifying to the predilection and recurrent presence of this decorative triad in Iznik vessels produced in the second half of the 16th century.

For similar examples recently sold at auctions, please see Christie's London, 31 March 2022, lot 116.