Lot 272. An Iznik polychrome pottery dish with tent, Turkey, circa 1600; 24.6cm. diam. Estimate: 4,000 - 6,000 GBP. Lot sold 8,750 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.

decorated in underglaze blue, green and relief red with black outlines, stylised tent in centre between composite pomegranate blossoms, breaking wave rim, reverse with abstract motifs, three drill holes to foot.

Note: Figural and domestic imagery such as that depicted on this dish is more unusual than the Iznik dishes of carnations, tulips and saz leaves. However, they began to circulate at the beginning of the seventeenth century when Iznik workshops to Greece increased their expert production at a time when Chinese ceramics saturated the Ottoman market (Carswell 2006, p.106). A comparable Iznik dish, decorated with an underglaze painted house scene is in the Sadberk Hanim Museum, Istanbul (Bilgi 2005, p.90-91).