A Timurid blue and white pottery dish with floral design, Persia, 15th century. Photo Sotheby's

of deep round form with everted rim, decorated in underglaze cobalt blue with central lotus bud emanating scrolling foliate stems, within a border with same design and broken wave decoration to rim, the exterior with stylised foliate design; 38cm. diam. Estimation 30,000 — 40,000 GBP

The peony, a classic Chinese motif, was re-interpreted on Chinese ceramics under the Emperor Yongle (1403-24) and became one of the Persian potters' favourite subjects in the Timurid period. A number of comparable examples are now in museums and known collections such as the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, inv. no. 763H., VG.468., VG.728., and VG.2286., the British Museum, inv. no. 1965 7-29,1., and the Keir Collection, inv. no. C45ii.

Sotheby's. Arts of the Islamic World, London | 09 avr. 2014 - www.sothebys.com