AN OTTOMAN PARCEL-GILT REPOUSSÉ SILVER BOWL (TAZA)
Ottoman Balkans, Western Ottoman Provinces, 16th - 17th century

Of rounded shape, with a narrow, reinforced rim and flattened central boss, the repoussé-worked cavetto decorated in high relief with a variety of animals including a stag, deer, antelope, gazelle, dog, donkey, and several birds, all set within cusped arches against ring-punched grounds occasionally enhanced with serrated leaves, the parcel-gilt centre possibly a later replacement, engraved with vegetal motifs on the base and enhanced with a parrot perched on the outer rim, beading and scrolling vegetal trellis bands below the rim, 16.5cm diam., 222gr.

A number of these early Ottoman Balkan silver bowls have appeared on the auction market in recent years. For further reference, please see Christie's South Kensington, 24 April 2015, lot 354; Christie's London, 26 October 2017, lot 201; and these very Rooms, 25 October 2019, lot 184; 29 October 2020, lot 220; and 16 April 2021, lot 232. They all tend to present analogous features such as the vegetal and animal decoration in high relief to the cavetto, applied animals to the omphalos (flattened boss), ring-punched grounds, and an overall Byzantine influence in the decorative vocabulary and its articulation.