Page 259 - The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent

encloses a hatayi blossom. The interstices between the car- appear to have been commissioned by foreign patrons, most
touches are filled with additional hatayis, which appear to be likely Italians.
attached to the tip of another cartouche beyond the edge of Some of the plates in green and purple reflect Chinese-
the tile, creating an alternating pattern. inspired compositions and themes, with three bunches of
A group of these hexagonal tiles was affixed to the facade grapes or floral scrolls that evolve from a single source in the
of the Sünnet Odasi, and similar examples are housed in central medallion. One such example (181) has a lobed rim
Turkish, European, and American collections. 96 Other hexa- decorated with a floral scroll. The cavetto contains sprays of
gons use a variation of the radiating and overlapping patterns the same flora, and the central medallion depicts scrolling
with ogival cartouches. 97 One such tile served as a model for branches with hatayis and peonies amid small leaves and
a white molded plate (see 163) as well as an underglaze- buds growing from a tuft of leaves placed at the bottom.
painted example. Touches of pale green and purple appear in the blossoms.
The repertoire of blue-and-turquoise ware includes saz The exterior of the cavetto repeats the design used on the
themes that were employed on large tile panels and diverse interior.
98
objects, such as mosque lamps, jugs, plates, and jars, some
of which were rendered in reserve on a blue ground and
mixed with naturalistic flora. 99 Others rely solely on naturalis-
tic elements, the most beautifully painted examples being a
series of blue-ground tiles that represent large blossoming
fruit trees with hyacinths and tulips growing at their bases.
These panels, removed from their original structure, are now
housed in Copenhagen and Lisbon. 100 A characteristic of the
designs used in these examples is the central source from
which the flora springs, a feature that was fully exploited in
the four-color ware using pale green and purple.

Four-color Ware with Purple

The most exquisite type of iznik ware is painted with two
tones of blue (cobalt blue and greenish- or bluish-turquoise),
green (which ranges from sage, or pale pistachio-green, to
olive), and purple (appearing frequently as pale mauve or vi-
olet), often using greenish black to define the motifs. The de-
signs reveal the strong impact of the nakka§hane, and include
elaborate saz scrolls and sprays of naturalistic flora, at times
used together and mixed with rumi cartouches and cloud
bands. This ware, with its highly refined brushwork and har- 181. Plate with floral spray, mid-sixteenth century (London, The British
monious compositions, must have been produced by master Museum, G. 1983.33)
painters who conceived each piece as an original work of art.
Even when a theme is repeated on a series of plates or bowls,
the configuration of elements varies, showing an attempt to
individualize the objects. This plate exemplifies the freedom with which Iznik potters
Examples of this ware include a limited number of large adapted and interpreted the compositions and themes of
footed bowls, some of which have saz scrolls on the exteriors Chinese porcelain. Although the same tripartite division is
but diversify the interiors by employing different combina- employed, the lobes defining the zones vary and do not con-
tions of floral sprays, rumis, and cloud bands. 101 Similar com- form with the number of sprays decorating the cavetto; the
positions appear on a large group of plates 102 as well as sev- scrolls and sprays are rendered in the style and color scheme
eral jars, jugs, ewers, and small bowls with a relatively high of the period, particularly noticeable in the orientation of the
foot, some of which have domical lids; 103 a few pieces are central design and the insistence on showing the source from
rendered on a deep-blue ground. 104 Included in this type are which the flora grows.
the tondino-shaped examples with portrait busts and an un- One of the most outstanding examples of this type reveals
usual jug decorated with Maltese crosses, its pinched rim the same orientation (182). On this plate a single branch
forming a spout, based on Italian prototypes. 105 These pieces springs from a pair of twisted leaves and turns, breaks, and

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