A rare Ottoman silver-gilt and cloisonné enamelled bowl, Turkey, first half 16th century

of deep rounded form on a short foot, the interior featuring a medallion affixed by a stud and decorated in cloisonné with dark blue, turquoise and light-green enamel with birds amidst stylised foliage bordered by a band of indented petals, the exterior with a design of arabesques containing split-palmettes connected together by a knotted motif, the underside with incised and punched decoration featuring split-palmettes against leafy scrolls

In good condition, some vitreous enamel missing and chipped in parts, the exterior rubbed with losses of gilding and some very minor scratches, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This rare and beautiful bowl belongs to a small group of early Ottoman enamelled silver-gilt dishes originally derived from early Persian and Timurid style metalwork. These are characterised by their sheet-silver construction, often with gilding and a decoration in relief, produced in a combination of repoussé and hammering. The enamelled plaque would have been prepared separately and affixed to the centre of the bowl, as on the present example (Carswell 1998, p.33). Prior to the arrival of the Chinese porcelains taken as booty during the Persian campaign of Selim I, precious metal wares greatly outnumbered Turkish ceramics at the Ottoman court. The complexity of the enamelled decoration, the refinement of the incised work and the overall condition of this example is truly remarkable, and must have ranked amongst the most desirable of those prized court wares.

A closely related bowl, also with an applied central medallion with three coloured enamelled decoration is published in Petsopoulos, Y., L’art Décoratif Ottoman – Tulipes, Arabesques et Turbans, 1982, p. 22). It employs a slightly different palette though it includes dark green and pale blue, with a related design featuring the band of interlacing split palmettes, incised knots and shams motifs surrounding the footring. Further examples from this group were sold in these rooms, 24 October 2007, lot 286 and 3 May 2001, lot 125. Only two known examples were stamped with a tughra, that of Süleyman the Magnificent (r. 1520-66) and his successor, Selim II (r.1566-1574), both sold at Sotheby’s, on the 25 April 1996, lot 96 and 18 October 2001 consecutively. Illustrated in Kürkman’s Ottoman Silver Marks, pp. 124-5 and 7, and Carswell 1998, p.33, it was inlaid with a simple turquoise, green and yellow design at the centre, and the reverse is close in design to this example, comprising split-palmettes and medallions of similar design.

Two silver bowls bearing the tughra of Bayezid II, also published in Kürkman 1996, pp. 122-123, share a common feature with the present bowl, notably the inner border of juxtaposed roundels enframing the central decoration. This feature appears to have been a favoured feature in early Ottoman metalwork, continued through to the reign of Bayezid II into the reign of Süleyman I. The design of the central decoration is of the type which clearly inspired the early blue and white Iznik ceramics.

Echoes of the design on this bowl also appear on other mediums in Ottoman court art of this period, notably its combination of formal (rumi) and naturalistic floral and foliate (khatai) elements. A jug decorated with these elements is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, inv. no. 158-1894 (see The Anatolian Civilisations III – Seljuk/Ottoman, Istanbul, 1983, p.167). Variations of this design appear on Iznik tile work of the 1520s and the direct relationship between silverwork of this type and Iznik has been documented (see Carswell 1998). 

Displaying the quality of workmanship and sophistication of design achieved by sixteenth century Ottoman silversmiths, in remarkable condition, this bowl is a significant addition to the corpus of known examples of early Ottoman enamelled silver dishes.

We are grateful to Garo Kürkman for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.