Page 256 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent

177 (above). Plate with ships, second quarter sixteenth century (London,
Victoria and Albert Museum, 713-1902)
178 (right). Bottle with spiral scroll, second quarter sixteenth century
(London, The British Museum, 78 12-30 519)

ring, resembles a flat tray, a shape that became widely used the interior and a looser floral one reminiscent of earlier
in the second half of the sixteenth century. Ships were also blue-and-white ware on the exterior. On one small jar, found
rendered on later polychrome ware, generally depicting only in Istanbul, there is a bolder and cruder version of the spiral
a single galleon (see 201). scroll with pale red blossoms. 92 These examples suggest that
An entirely different theme—thin spiral scrolls bearing the group overlaps the earlier blue-and-white and the later
minute blossoms and leaves, frequently overlaid with trefoil polychrome types. Among the more unusual pieces employ-
93
rumi cartouches and palmettes—appears on another group of ing this design are two mosque lamps, and several tondino
blue-and-turquoise pieces. This design, which was also used bowls with wide flattened rims and small lidded ewers with
90
on Süleyman's tugras and manuscript illuminations, was attached spouts that reflect Italianate shapes. 94
applied to bottles, jugs, ewers, small and large bowls, and The only dated example in this group is the British Mu-
plates with plain or foliated rims, as well as to a rare group of seum bottle made in 1529 (see fig. 20). A second bottle in
tiles. Some of the scrolls were painted in a dark blackish- the same collection (178) has a more elongated shape with
green. 91 A few bowls show the tightly-wound spiral scroll on its tall neck embellished with a bold ring. The neck is divided

255