A DAMASCUS DISH

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The Ottoman conquest of the Mamluk territories in 1516–17 brought about a profound transformation of the artistic landscape of Syria and Egypt. The new rulers sought to establish a shared decorative vocabulary across their provinces, aligning local artistic practices with those developed in Istanbul. Potters in Damascus produced vessels that echoed Iznik ceramics and the stylistic canons of the imperial court.

Damascus, one of the major artistic centres of the former Mamluk domains, played an essential role in shaping this new visual language. While Damascene workshops embraced the general principles of Iznik production — the delicate floral motifs on this dish are borrowed directly from Iznik wares — they introduced notable stylistic variations by incorporating manganese purple and apple green, creating a distinctly local palette.

Moreover, vessels produced in Syria differ from Iznik ceramics in their more heavily potted bodies and distinctive profiles. The shallow rounded bowl set on a high foot of relatively small diameter is markedly different and follows local prototypes of the earlier Mamluk period (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, inv. 1971.21 and The David Collection, Copenhagen, inv. 21/1992). Damascus wares thus represent a fascinating blend of Iznik decorative motifs with the region’s own pottery traditions.

According to an old label placed beneath the foot of the dish, it once formed part of the collection of Jean Pozzi (1884–1967). Pozzi was a prominent collector who assembled an extensive collection, including Islamic and Indian art. He was the son of Dr Samuel Pozzi, famously portrayed in his scarlet robe de chambre by John Singer Sargent. Upon his death, part of his collection was bequeathed to institutions, while the remaining works were dispersed through a series of twelve auctions at Hôtel Drouot and Palais Galliéra in Paris in 1970 and 1971. The dish was probably purchased in one of these sales by Joseph Soustiel (1904–1990), the celebrated Parisian dealer, who later sold it in his gallery on Boulevard Haussmann.

Comparable Damascus dishes are held in the Victoria & Albert Museum (inv. C.1987‑1910) and the Louvre (inv. AD 27704). See also Alexis Renard and Laure Soustiel, Autour de l’art turc, exhibition catalogue, Paris, 2011, cat. 9, and a dish sold at Christie’s, London, 23 April 2015, lot 179.