Fritware dish, painted in blue under a transparent glaze. Iran, Tabriz?; end of 15th century. H: 6.4; Diam: 38.7 cm.  Inv. no. 214/2006. The David Collection. © THE DAVID COLLECTION

We still do not know much about where Persian pottery from the 15th century was produced – whether most was made in the regions that were dominated by the Timurids, or whether there were other centers as well. This dish belongs to “the precise group,” which was given this name because of its fine decoration. There are arguments that point to its having been made in Turkmen Tabriz – a city that was an important art center under several dynasties.

Persian pottery copied the most elaborate Chinese blue-and-white porcelain. This dish, for example, is decorated with a central phoenix surrounded by nine doves and six ducks on a background of Far Eastern clouds.