A POLYCHROME-PAINTED KUTAHYA-STYLE POTTERY HANGING ORNAMENT
Jerusalem, Holy Land, ca. 1880 - 1920

Of spherical shape, with a hollow central axis, reminiscent of egg-shaped hanging ornaments used as fertility ex-voto in Armenian churches, painted in the conventional Kutahya pottery palette of dark and light blue, green, raised bole red, and black on a white ground, decorated with a central two-tone scrolling band on green ground, the upper and lower section with a mirrored design featuring cusped arabesque cartouches interspersed amidst interlacing flowering sprays with stylised blue lotus flowers, red rosettes, and green saz leaves, with later-added brass screws and hanging hoops, the external circumference 68cm, ca. 21cm diam.