Dish with Four Flowers

ca. 1575

This dish with a wide tabaq illustrates the unprecedented development of Iznik ceramics and the naturalistic style of bouquets in vogue during the 16th century. While the jig-saw form of the inner border and the decoration of stylised waves are Chinese in inspiration, the floral composition of roses, tulips, carnations and hyacinths is from the local repertoire. This “four flowers” style, a departure from the earlier geometrical patterns, is based on species grown in the gardens of Istanbul. Certain flowers also had particular symbolic significance, such as the tulip, whose Turkish name lale is an anagram of the word designating Allah, and the rose, which is associated with Muhammad.