Vase

Kütahya, Turkey, second half of 19th century

Fritware with underglaze painting.

H: 30 cm

UMP 16683

Produced in the workshops of Kütahya in the second half of the 19th century, this vase imitates the decorative patterns of İznik ware from the mid-16th century. The rich floral ornamentation includes tulips, cornflowers and pomegranates, as well as Chinese-inspired cloudbands typical for early İznik pottery. The origin of the vase dates to the period when Europe discovered vibrantly coloured Iranian and Turkish

ceramics, which served as a source of inspiration for numerous European ceramics workshops. The vase is believed to have been acquired for the collections in 1889 together with other ceramic objects from Turkey, Syria and Iran. Purchase records reflect the uncertain origin of Ottoman pottery at the time; even this vase was imprecisely

designated as “Rhodian-Persian” based on extensive discoveries of Turkish ceramics on the island of Rhodes and its presumed Persian origin.

While ceramics production in the western Anatolian town of Kütahya operated in parallel with İznik, Kütahya remained in the shadow of its larger competitor on the coast. A large community of Armenian potters were active in Kütahya, probably since as early as the late 14th century. In the 17th century, migrants from Safavid, Iran, brought their knowledge of Iranian ceramics with them to religiously more tolerant Ottoman Kütahya and revived production. Christian themes primarily appear in objects intended for decorating local churches. Whereas production ceased in İznik towards the end of the 17th century, it continued in Kütahya. Unlike the workshops in İznik, which received large commissions from the Sultan and his court, production in distant Kütahya focused on more commonplace objects like tableware. Wealthy trade contacts helped bring these products beyond the borders of the Ottoman Empire. The 18th century can be considered the height of production in Kütahya. The discovery of porcelain production in Europe, industrialisation, and the reduction of the cost of production all led to reduced interest in hand-painted Eastern pottery. Consequently,

in the 19th century production in Kütahya returned to its older patterns of İznik ware, an example of which can be seen in the vase in the Pilsen collections. (JMl)