AN IMPRESSIVE LARGE TURQUOISE MONOCHROME POTTERY DISH
Safavid Iran, 17th century

Of shallow rounded shape, resting on a short circular foot, the moulded cavetto enhanced by a gadrooned band of oblong petal-shaped elements, the full body covered in thick turquoise monochrome glaze, 9.5cm high and 46cm diam.

Watson suggests that these large monochrome dishes were intended to imitate Chinese celadon. Chinese Longquan celadon ceased to be exported in any significant quantity after the 15th century, and yet the Middle Eastern desire for celadon wares remained unaltered, fostering local productions in the absence of original antique Chinese exemplars (O. Watson, Ceramics from Islamic Lands, 2004, p. 465). An almost identical example to our dish is part of the Al-Sabah Collection in Kuwait, presenting the same ribbed petal-like motif around the cavetto (Ibidem, cat. U.18, p. 465).