Tiles

Historical period(s)
Ottoman period, circa 1525
Medium
Composite body painted under glaze
Style
Iznik ware
Dimensions
H x W (overall): 35.8 x 28.5 cm (14 1/8 x 11 1/4 in)
Geography
Turkey
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1980.181a-c
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Architectural Element, Ceramic
Type

Tile

Keywords
flower, Iznik ware, Ottoman period (1307 - 1922), Turkey
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

During the height of Ottoman power in the sixteenth century, the ruling elite sponsored the construction of numerous monumental complexes throughout the empire, which provided fresh impetus for tile production.  These three rectangular tiles are among the earliest examples associated with the city of Iznik, the most important center for Ottoman ceramic manufacture.  Notable for their delicate blue and white palette and elegant design, the tiles, much like early Iznik vessels, integrate Chinese and Ottoman decorative elements into the overall design.  Similar tiles can still be seen in the mausoleum of Prince Mahmud, the son of the Ottoman ruler Beyazid II (reigned 1481-1512), built in Bursa shortly after Mahmud's execution in 1506.

Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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