A Qajar Iznik-style pottery dish, Persia, circa 1897

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The nineteenth century saw a resurgent interest in Iznik and models from European factories such as Samson, Deck and Cantagalli acquired popularity (see lots 252, 254 -7), but the present dish belongs to a lesser known group produced by a Persian atelier. More precisely, it is possible to trace this dish to an atelier in Isfahan which in 1897, under the aegis of the London based firm Wright and Hansford was commissioned to reproduce two Iznik models. Arthur Lane notes that this workshop "[...] was supplied with drawings of 'Damascus-type' dishes in the Godman collection, and made to order a series of unmarked imitations which may still be current in the antique-market" (Lane 1957, p.60). The Iznik dish in question appears to be the Damascus-style dish from the Frederick Du Cane Godman collection now in the British Museum, London, inv. no.G.22. Thus, multiple copies (thirty in total, fifteen of this particular design) were purchased by the Victoria and Albert Museum at the time, as noted by Sir Caspar Purdon Clarke, then director: "There reproductions of old Damascus plates were made at Isfahan, in Persia, and the successful rendering of the glaze and colouring is owing to the paste of the body being of the same kind... As we possess very few of the original plates and demand in Circulation for this class of objects is very great, I propose using these reproductions as much as possible" (quoted in Watson 1981, p.177). They were used as models to be copied by art students, but following storage concerns in the 1950s, duplicates were de-accessioned. It is possible that the present dish is one such example. These continued to be reproduced in the local workshops for other clients, and later examples are now in the National Museum Scotland, Edinburgh, inv. no.V.2012.82 and the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, inv. no.EA1978.1483. It is notable that this dish weighs more than the original Iznik examples and comprises a crackled glaze and beige ground. For further information on this group, see Watson 1981.